UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA 

COLLEGE    OF    AGRICULTURE 

AGRICULTURAL    EXPERIMENT   STATION 

BERKELEY,   CALIFORNIA 


I.    THE  KADOTA  FIG 

IRA  J.  CONDIT 

II.    KADOTA  FIG  PRODUCTS 

W.  V.  CRUESS 


BULLETIN  436 

October,  1927 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  PRINTING  OFFICE 

BERKELLY,  CALIFORNIA 

1927 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  California,  Davis  Libraries 


http://www.archive.org/details/kadotafig4364365cond 


I.    THE   KADOTA   FIG 

IRA  J.  CONDITi 


THE    KADOTA    FIG    IN    ITALY 

The  Kadota  fig,  under  the  name  Dottato,  has  been  grown  in  Italy 
since  ancient  times,  and  is  still  the  leading  commercial  variety  of  that 
country.  The  derivation  of  the  variety  name  seems  to  be  from  the 
Italian,  fico  addattato,  or  adapted  fig,  undoubtedly  referring  to  the 
wide  adaptability  of  this  fig  to  soils  and  climatic  conditions  as  well 
as  to  possible  uses. 

History  and  Italian  Literature. — Savastano2  describes  the  Kadota 
as  a  good  variety  for  drying.  According  to  Siniscalchi3  it  is  the  com- 
mercial variety  par  excellence  and  in  some  districts  is  rightly  called 
the  'golden  fig.'  Ferrari4  states  that  this  variety  is  the  one  best 
adapted  to  local  conditions  both  along  the  coast  and  in  the  foothill 
valleys  protected  from  sea  breezes.  The  Kadota  fig  thrives  along  the 
coast  of  Sicily  and,  according  to  Portale,5  furnishes  the  bulk  of  the 
dried  figs  for  local  and  export  trade.  Guglielmi,6  in  his  discussion 
of  fig  culture  in  southern  Italy,  classes  it  as  the  most  esteemed  variety 
for  commerce,  the  figs  being  consumed  mostly  in  the  dried  form. 
Pellicano7  also  gives  it  first  rank  among  the  figs  of  Calabria.  De  Rosa8 
classes  it  highly  for  production  of  dried  figs,  with  its  few  seeds,  sweet 
pulp,  and  delicate,  although  relatively  thick,  skin,  and  recommends  it 
for  districts  where  other  figs  sour  or  are  inferior. 

i  Associate  in  Subtropical  Horticulture. 

2  Savastano,  L.  II  fico.  Ann.  R.  Scuola  Sup.  Agric.  Portici,  4:36.  1885. 
Fichi  da  seccare.  Bol.  Arbor.  Ital.,  4:134.  1908.  Arboricoltura,  pp.  608,  836. 
1914.     F.  Giannini  and  Figli,  Napoli. 

s  Siniscalchi,  A.  La  coltivazione  del  fico  nel  Cilento.  Bol.  Arbor.  Ital.,  7:25-54. 
1912. 

4  Ferrari,  E.  La  coltivazione  del  fico  nel  Circondario  di  Paola  (Cosenza). 
Ann.  Staz.  Grum.  Frutti,  1:141-177.     1912. 

s  Portale,  F.  La  coltivazione  del  fico  nel  circondario  di  Mistretta.  Bol.  Arbor. 
Ital.,  6:49-101.     1910. 

(J  Guglielmi,  G.  Coltivazione  industriale  del  fico  nel  Leccese.  Bol.  Arbor. 
Ital.,  4:11-18;  57-65;  114-125;  152-156.     1908. 

7  Pellicano,  A.  II  fico  nel  circondario  di  Gerace.  Bol.  Arbor.  Ital.,  3:122-150. 
1907. 

s  Rosa,  F.  de.  Di  alcuni  fichi  Salentini.  Atti  R.  Istit.  d'Incorr.  Napoli,  VI, 
9:1-36.     1911. 


4  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

The  best  and  most  complete  account  of  the  Kadota  is  given  by 
Vallese9  in  his  book  on  Italian  figs.  He  calls  attention  to  the  fact 
that  capriflcation  affects  the  fruit,  making  it  larger,  sweeter,  and  more 
pulpy  than  uncaprified  fruit. 

Italian  Fig  Districts  and  Climatic  Data, — The  culture10  of  the 
Kadota  fig,  in  Italy,  as  far  as  export  trade  is  concerned,  is  almost 
entirely  confined  to  districts  lying  south  of  Naples.  Cosenza,  where 
some  of  the  best  dried  figs  are  grown  and  packed,  is  inland  beyond 
the  coast  mountains  at  an  elevation  of  1266  feet.     The  other  districts 


Fig.  1. — Whole  Kadota  figs  on  elevated  drying  trays  at  Cosenza,  Italy,  Septem- 
ber 17,  1923. 


are  in  the  vicinity  of  the  coast,  where  drying  conditions  are  not  so 
favorable. 

Two  distinct  methods  of  drying  figs  are  used  in  Italy.  At  Cosenza, 
the  Kadota  figs  are  picked  fully  matured  and  spread  out  on  elevated 
trays  for  drying  (fig.  1).  At  Lecce,  the  figs  are  picked  in  the  same 
manner,  but  before  drying  are  cut  in  half  from  the  stem  towards  the 
apex,  leaving  a  slight  attachment  at  the  eye  (fig.  2). 

Climatic  data  for  some  of  the  fig  districts  show  the  maximum 
temperature  for  Cosenza  to  be  106°  F.,  and  for  Lecce  107°  F.  The 
mean  relative  humidity  at  Lecce  during  the  summer  months  varies 
from  60  to  63  per  cent.    Rainfall  at  Naples  totaled  40  inches  in  1916 

a  Vallese,  F.     II  fico,  pp.  93-98,  figs.  31,  32,  1909.     F.  Battiato,  Catania, 
io  Most  of  the  account  of  the  Kadota  fig  in  Italy  is  the  result  of  personal 
investigation  made  by  the  writer  in   that  country  in  1923. 


Bul.  436] 


THE   KADOTA   FIG 


and  34.28  in  1917;  at  Lecce  the  total  was  32.64  inches  in  1916  and 
23.4  in  1917.  Early  rains  between  August  20  and  26,  1923,  did  con- 
siderable damage  to  the  fig  crop  of  southern  Italy,  nearly  half  of 
the  crop  being  ruined  for  food  or  reduced  in  grade.  A  three-day  rain 
about  the  middle  of  September  caused  serious  injury  to  or  total  loss  of 


Fig.  2. — Italian  women  in  the  Lecce  Province  of  Italy  cutting  Kadota  figs 
from  stem  to  eye  and  spreading  on  a  drying  tray. 

about  one-third  of  the  Cosenza  crop  the  same  season.     Dottato  figs 
dropped  badly  and  rotted  on  the  ground. 

Crop  Statistics  and  Exports. — According  to  the  United  States  Com- 
merce Reports,11  the  fig  crop  of  southern  Italy  amounted  to  165,040,000 
pounds  in  1920.    It  was  distributed  as  follows : 

Abruzzi    10,752,000  lbs. 

Campania  15,680,000  lbs. 

Puglia  84,400,000  lbs. 

Calabria   51,296,000  lbs. 

Sicilia   2,912,000  lbs. 

A  normal  dried-fig  crop  for  Italy  is  considered  to  be  about 
100,000,000  pounds. 

Exports  vary  from  40,000,000  to  50,000,000  pounds,  Austria  taking 
by  far  the  largest  quantity  for  industrial  purposes,  largely  the  manu- 
facture of  coffee  and  alcohol.  In  1923,  the  United  States  received 
780  tons  of  dried  Kadota  figs  from  Italy ;  in  1924,  over  1400  tons ;  and 

ii  Byington,  II.  Fig  culture  in  southern  Italy.  U.  S.  Com.  Reports,  150:1831. 
.1921. 


b  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

in  1925,  2150  tons  valued  at  $208,388.  The  bulk  of  these  arrived  dur- 
ing the  months  of  October,  November,  and  December.  The  value  of  the 
1925  imports  exceeded  the  total  value  of  the  Kadota  %  crop  of  Cali- 
fornia for  the  same  year  and  almost  equalled  the  value  of  the  1926 
crop  of  this  state. 

Production  and  Cultural  Methods. — According  to  Ferrari,  the 
average  production  of  fig  trees  in  the  Paola  region  is  280  kilos  per 
hectare  (249.3  lbs.  per  acre),  an  average  of  16.5  pounds  per  tree. 
The  production  in  exceptional  orchards  has  reached  88  pounds  of 
dried  fruit  per  tree. 

Fruit  trees  in  Sicily  are  planted  close  together,  the  common  spacing 
for  lemons  being  from  10  to  16  feet  and  for  figs  16  feet,  the  latter 
allowing  about  170  trees  to  the  acre.  In  the  specialized  fig  orchards 
of  San  Fratello,  the  production  is  given  as  3,562  pounds  of  dried  figs 
per  acre. 

The  orchards  in  the  vicinity  of  Cosenza  are  mainly  on  the  hillsides 
and  in  the  mountains,  mostly  unirrigated. 

Interplanting  of  fig  and  olive  trees  is  very  common  and  various 
grain  and  vegetable  crops  are  grown  in  practically  all  of  the  orchards. 

Land  Values  and  Returns. — The  best  land  in  the  Lecce  district  is 
used  for  tobacco  and  annual  crops,  fig  trees  being  grown  on  poorer 
land.  Orchards  are  commonly  operated  on  a  rental  basis,  in  some 
cases  for  cash,  in  others  for  a  share  of  the  crop.  In  1923  one  grower 
rented  four  acres  of  land  for  $5.37  per  acre;  in  addition  to  this  he 
paid  the  owner  16  lira  per  quintal  (68.8  cents  per  220  pounds)  for 
the  dried  figs  produced.  One  peasant  stated  that  if  figs  sell  for  less 
than  100  lira  he  pays  only  12  lira  per  quintal  (51.6  cents  for  220 
pounds)  as  rent.  A  grower  at  Messagne  rented  two  acres  of  land  for 
$8.60,  the  tract  being  in  producing  olive  and  fig  trees  20  years  old. 

At  Cosenza  one  grower  received  3.5  cents  a  pound  for  his  dried 
figs  in  1918 ;  in  1919,  1920,  and  1922,  he  received  3.9  cents ;  and  in 
1921,  5.4  cents  a  pound.  For  cull  figs  he  received  one-half  these 
prices. 

The  growers  at  Cosenza  received  from  3.7  to  4.3  cents  a  pound  for 
the  crop  of  1922.  At  Lecce  in  1923  the  average  for  good  figs  was 
1.3  to  1.5  cents  a  pound  and  for  figs  for  manufacturing  purposes 
0.77  to  0.88  cents  a  pound. 

Literature  on  the  fig  industry  of  Italy  generally  deplores  the  con- 
ditions existing  in  the  harvesting  and  packing  of  the  fruit.  Dr.  Biasco 
of  Lecce  stated  that  better  varieties  of  figs  should  be  planted  and 
more  care  taken  in  the  production  so  that  larger  quantities  of  figs 


BUL.   436]  THE   KADOTA  FIG  7 

could  be  used  for  edible  purposes  as  well  as  industrial.  Merchants 
of  Paris  and  London  spoke  well  of  the  quality  of  the  Kadota  figs  from 
Cosenza.  They  stated  that  the  Italian  figs  are  of  good  quality  but 
are  very  poorly  packed.  The  whole  dried  figs,  however,  have  a  thick, 
tough  skin  as  compared  with  Smyrna  figs.  The  dried  figs  of  Italy 
could  undoubtedly  be  improved  by  better  methods  of  handling  in 
the  dry  yards  and  packing  houses. 


THE   KADOTA   FIG    IN  THE   SOUTHERN   STATES 

The  behavior  of  the  Kadota  fig  in  the  southern  states  is  not 
definitely  known.  Starnes12  lists  both  the  Dottato  and  the  Dottato 
White  among  the  varieties  being  grown  at  the  Georgia  Experiment 
Station  in  1907  but  no  later  records  of  their  success  are  given.  Other 
publications  on  figs  from  the  Gulf  States  fail  to  mention  the  variety. 
However,  G.  E.  Murrell,  horticulturist  for  the  Southern  Railway, 
wrote  in  August,  1925,  that  young  Kadota  trees  were  bearing  at 
Citronella,  Alabama.  Trees  were  also  planted  at  Carriere,  but  were 
seriously  injured  the  following  winter  by  a  temperature  of  14  degrees. 
The  fruit  did  not  sour  even  with  continuous  showers  and  was 
marketed  satisfactorily  "by  express  to  cities  within  twelve  hours 
distance." 

Judging  from  the  behavior  of  the  Kadota  fig  near  the  coast  of 
California  and  the  tendency  of  the  skin  to  develop  dark  spots,  the 
variety  may  not  be  so  satisfactory  along  the  Gulf  Coast  as  the  Mag- 
nolia or  the  Celeste.  In  fact  a  grower  at  Beaumont,  Texas,  has  com- 
plained of  the  susceptibility  of  the  Kadota  leaves  to  rust  and  of  the 
fruit  to  spotting  and  mildew. 


THE   KADOTA   FIG   IN   CALIFORNIA 
HISTORY 

About  1889,  J.  E.  Cutter  of  Riverside,  a  member  of  the  nursery 
firm  of  Twogood  and  Cutter,  received  cuttings  of  seven  varieties  of 
figs  through  H.  E.  Van  Deman  of  the  United  States  Department  of 
Agriculture.  After  a  period  of  trial,  the  Dottato,  as  the  name 
appeared  on  the  original  label,  was  the  only  one  which  appeared 
worthy  of  further  propagation.  According  to  Mr.  Cutter  it  was 
called  to  public  attention  at  the  Fruit  Growers'  Convention  held  in 
November,  1893,  in  Los  Angeles,  where  he  showed  specimens  of  the 

12  Starnes,  H.  N.     The  Dottato.     Georgia  Agr.  Exp.  Sta.,  Bull.  77:67.     1907. 


8  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

fruit  and  invited  people  to  sample  them.  In  1892,  an  account13  of 
the  new  fig  appeared  in  the  Riverside  Press  and  Horticulturist.  It 
was  stated  that  of  the  seven  varieties  being  tested,  all  but  one  had  a 
tendency  to  sour  as  the  figs  ripened.  This  one,  the  Dottato,  ripened  its 
fruit  perfectly.  The  specimens  submitted  were  said  to  be  of  fine  flavor 
and  delicious  in  cream  for  dessert.  The  report  concluded  that  even 
though  this  fig  were  inferior  in  flavor,  it  would  still  be  worth  propa- 
gating if  it  should  continue  to  prove  free  from  the  souring  which 
affects  the  fig  so  generally  in  irrigated  sections. 

In  his  annual  report  for  1890  the  Pomologist  of  the  United  States 
Department  of  Agriculture  refers  to  this  variety  as  follows  :14 

"Through  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  William  Saunders,  Superintendent 
of  Gardens  and  Grounds  of  this  Department,  I  have  been  able  to 
distribute  cuttings  of  the  following  varieties  of  fig  obtained  through 
commercial  channels :  Bianco  Precoce,  Prolifero,  Natalino,  Dottato, 
and  others." 

In  1898  Stephen  H.  Taft  of  Sawtelle  obtained  ten  cuttings  of  the 
Dottato  fig  from  Cyrus  Way  of  Whittier  and  from  them  propagated 
nursery  stock.  He  gave  it  the  name  of  Kadota,  which  is  evidently  a 
corruption  of  Dottato. 

In  1890  the  Report15  of  this  station  included  the  "White  Dattato" 
in  its  list  of  fig  varieties  planted  at  the  Pomona  Station.  In  the 
Report16  for  1901-1903  it  was  stated  that  at  Pomona  a  fig  to  which 
the  name  White  Dottato  had  been  given  was  the  best  for  the  third 
or  fall  period ;  the  fruit  ripened  in  August,  in  some  seasons  about  the 
first  but  usually  about  the  middle  of  the  month ;  the  trees  bore  a  con- 
tinuous crop  from  that  time  until  frost.  It  was  regarded  as  the 
best  white  fig  at  the  station  and  was  reported  to  go  through  fog  and 
rain  without  souring.     The  origin  of  the  trees  is  not  given. 

In  a  letter  received  from  the  Pioneer  Nursery,  Monrovia,  April  8, 
1916,  it  is  stated  that  about  1904  the  fig  called  Kadota  was  offered  as 
a  new  and  very  fine  variety  at  high  prices  by  S.  H.  Taft  of  Sawtelle. 
Trees  were  purchased  and  when  they  began  to  fruit,  no  difference 
could  be  seen  between  this  variety  and  the  White  Pacific  which  they 
had  been  growing  for  some  years. 

N.  M.  P.  Close  of  Exeter  obtained  a  tree  of  the  same  variety  from 
S.  Thompson  of  Orange  County  and  grew  it  for  about  eighteen  years 
under  the  name  'Datato.'     J.  C.  McCubbin  of  Reedley  has  a  large 


is  Anonymous.     A  new  fig.     Pac.  Eural  Press,  44:322.     1892. 
i*  Van  Deman,  H.  E.     Distribution   of  seeds,   plants,   and  scions   of   fruits. 
Eept.  Sec.  Agr.,  U.  S.  D.  A.,  1890:414.     1890. 

i.r>Shinn,  C.  H.     Fig  varieties.     Eept.  Calif.  Agr.  Exp.  Sta.,  1890:299.     1891. 
i6  Stubenrauch,  A.  V.     Figs.     Eept.  Calif.  Agr.  Exp.  Sta.,  1903:192.     1903. 


BUL.  436]  THE   KADOTA   FIG  9 

Kadota  tree  which  was  purchased  from  S.  II.  Taft  in  1909.  One  of 
the  oldest  Kadota  trees  in  Tulare  County  is  that  on  the  place  of 
George  Reynolds  near  Orosi,  who  was  one  of  the  first  to  plant  a  com- 
mercial orchard  of  this  variety  in  the  San  Joaquin  Valley. 


NOMENCLATUEE 

The  variety  names  Dottato  (sometimes  Dattato),  Kadota,  White 
Endich  (sometimes  spelled  Endrich),  White  Pacific,  and  Clarkadota, 
are  synonymous;  all  refer  to  the  same  variety.  The  origin  of  the 
names  Dottato  and  Kadota  has  already  been  referred  to.  White 
Endich  is  the  name  applied  to  a  fig  introduced  into  the  Stockton  dis- 
trict previous  to  1870  and  named  for  Mr.  Endich  of  that  city.  Accord- 
ing to  G.  P.  Rixford  the  nursery  catalogues  of  W.  B.  West  of  Stockton 
of  1873  and  1874  list  the  "Endrich"  fig17  and  state  that  it  was  im- 
ported from  the  south  of  Italy  many  years  ago  by  an  old  citizen 
of  Stockton.  White  Endich  trees  are  common  around  Stockton  and 
in  various  parts  of  the  interior  valleys.  They  are  identical  in  tree 
character,  foliage,  and  fruit  to  the  Kadota. 

The  name  White  Pacific18  was  given  to  a  fig  propagated  by  W.  R. 
Strong  and  Company,  Sacramento,  and  described  in  their  catalogue 
of  1883.  The  parent  tree  was  found  on  the  fruit  farm  of  Mr.  White 
at  Penryn,  Placer  County.  It  was  very  prolific  and  produced  excellent 
fruit,  the  only  objection  being  the  rather  thick  skin.  The  tree  was 
at  least  ten  to  fifteen  years  old  at  that  time.19  The  White  Pacific  as 
grown  in  various  parts  of  the  state  cannot  be  distinguished  from  the 
Kadota,  although  in  Los  Angeles  County  the  two  sometimes  appear 
to  be  distinct. 

Francis  Heiny  of  Brawley  wrote  February  3,  1917,  that  he  has  fig 
trees  under  the  names  of  Kadota,  Dottato,  White  Pacific,  and  White 
Endich,  and  all  are  identical  with  the  exception  that  some  have  white 
and  some  pink  flesh.  As  explained  later,  flesh  characters  are  decidedly 
influenced  by  various  factors,  especially  caprification. 

Mr.  George  Roeding  stated  in  a  letter  dated  September  12,  1914, 
that  he  was  certain  the  Kadota  and  White  Endich  were  the  same. 
In  his  nursery  catalogues  issued  from  year  to  year,  he  lists  the  variety 
generally  under  the  name  White  Endrich  with  Kadota  in  parentheses 


17  According  to  Louis  Vistica,  a  nurseryman  of  Stockton,  and  a  son-in-law 
of  Mr.  Endich,  the  proper  spelling  of  the  family  name  is  Endich  rather  than 
Endrich. 

is  Strong,  W.  R.,  &  Co.     Pac.  Rural  Press,  26:430.     1883. 

is  Anonymous.  Report  of  the  fourth  annual  state  fruit  growers'  conven- 
tion.   Rept.  California  State  Board  Hort.,  1884:84.     1884. 


10  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 


***** 


****** 


Fig.  3. — Typical  leaves  of  the  Kadota  fig  from  a  bearing  tree. 


BUL.  436]  THE   KADOTA   FIG  11 

and  states  it  has  been  sold  by  various  parties  as  White  Endrich,  White 
Pacific,  Smyrna,  and  Kadota.  The  Kirkman  Nursery,  Fresno,  listed 
it  in  their  catalogue  of  1920  as  "Kadota  (White  Endrich.)"  The 
catalogue  of  the  Armstrong  Nursery,  Ontario,  1921,  gives  the  follow- 
ing: "White  Pacific  (Endich  or  Kadota)." 

The  name,  "Clarkadota,"  was  coined  in  1920  by  a  development 
company  at  Stockton20  and  purported  to  represent  trees  of  the 
"superior"  or  "exceptional"  Taft  strain.  Since  Mr.  Taft  of  Saw- 
telle  secured  his  trees  indirectly  from  the  Riverside  importation,  they 
do  not  represent  any  strain  or  stock  superior  to  that  of  numerous 
other  large  Kadota  trees  in  southern  California. 

The  name  Kadota  is  so  firmly  established  in  California  that  it 
would  seem  difficult,  however  desirable  it  might  be,  to  reestablish  the 
true  name,  Dottato,  for  the  variety. 


CHARACTEKISTICS  OF  THE  TEEE  AND  FEUIT 

The  Kadota  tree  is  a  vigorous  grower,  although  no  more  so  than 
trees  of  other  commercial  varieties  grown  under  the  same  conditions. 
When  allowed  to  grow  naturally,  the  trees  develop  into  a  round-topped 
form,  broad,  but  not  so  spreading  as  the  White  Adriatic.  The  leaves 
(fig.  3)  are  fairly  large,  variable  in  shape,  entire  to  three  or  five-lobed, 
with  cordate  base  and  crenate  margins.  The  bark  on  one-year-old 
mature  wood  has  a  golden  or  yellowish  color;  older  branches  assume 
the  normal  gray  of  most  fig  wood. 

Like  most  other  common  varieties  of  figs  the  Kadota  bears  two 
crops,  the  first  crop  appearing  on  wood  of  the  previous  season's 
growth,  from  buds  differentiated  in  the  upper  leaf  axils  during  the 
fall  months.  These  buds  become  active  in  the  spring  along  with  the 
terminal  or  lateral  buds,  continue  to  enlarge  during  April  and  May, 
and  mature  into  fruit  about  the  middle  of  June  in  the  interior  valleys. 
Typical  figs  of  this  crop  are  large,  green  or  yellowish  green  in  color 
(fig.  4),  pear-shaped,  with  a  distinct  thick  neck,  indistinct  ribs,  and 
fairly  large,  open  eye.  The  pulp  is  violet-tinted,  juicy  and  of  excel- 
lent quality.  It  is  used  almost  exclusively  for  the  fresh  fruit  market 
if  harvested  at  all. 

The  second-crop  figs  (fig.  5)  are  produced  on  wood  of  the  current 
season,  one,  and  often  two,  in  the  axil  of  a  leaf.  Some  of  the  figs 
mature  the  latter  part  of  July  and  others  continue  to  ripen  as  long 
as  the  weather  remains  favorable.     As  with  many  other  varieties, 

20  Donaldson,  M.  V.  Use  of  the  name,  "Clarkadota."  Fig  Olive  Jour., 
4(8):17.     1920. 


12 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 


immature  figs  may  hang  on  the  tree  throughout  the  winter  and  if 
not  injured  by  cold,  ripen  in  early  spring.  The  fruit  of  the  second 
crop  is  of  medium  size,  globular  in  shape  or  somewhat  oval,  with  a 
slight  neck;  stalk  one-quarter  to  three-quarters  of  an  inch  long  or 


Fig.    4. — First-crop    Kadota   figs    from    Terra    Bella.      Pear-shaped    specimens 
are  common.      (Natural  size.) 

longer,  sometimes  objectionably  so;  eye  medium,  closed  by  scales  or 
frequently  by  a  drop  of  clear  gum;  skin  yellowish  green  to  lemon- 
yellow  when  mature;  pulp  amber,  sweet,  but  lacking  character  or 
distinct  flavor.  The  outer  skin  and  white  meat  surrounding  the  pulp, 
constitute  a  sort  of  rind  with  a  rubbery  consistency,  one  of  the  char- 
acters which  makes  the  fig  suitable  for  commercial  canning.  This 
thick  rind,  however,  is  responsible  for  making  an  inferior,  leathery 
product  when  dried. 


Bul.  436] 


THE   KADOTA   FIG 


13 


^1o^^^^  the  8*n  J-^»  Valley 

from  the  original  Taft  trees at  q«2  i       I '•*,    /•  Vl"cal   second-crop    Kadota   figs 
tinted  pulp.  g  tfeeS  at  SawteU^  with  distinct  neck,  green  skin,  and  violet- 


14  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


EFFECTS   OF   CAPEIFICATION 

Caprification  or  artificial  pollination  of  the  Kadota  fig  is  not 
necessary  to  make  the  fruit  set  and  mature.  When  caprified,  the  fruit 
is  very  materially  changed  in  appearance  and  character  from  normal 
fruit.    The  differences  may  be  noted  as  follows : 

The  color  of  the  uncaprified  fig  is  a  light  lemon  yellow,  the  surface 
somewhat  glossy;  the  color  of  the  caprified  fig  is  green  or  yellowish 
green,  and  the  surface  dull.  Ribs  on  uncaprified  figs  are  practically 
absent ;  on  caprified  fruit,  the  ribbed  appearance  is  marked,  especially 
in  the  wilted  specimens.  The  meat  or  rind  is  seemingly  little  affected 
in  thickness  and  texture.  The  color  of  the  flesh  in  uncaprified  figs  is 
amber  or  pinkish  amber  to  light  strawberry;  in  caprified  specimens 
the  color  is  much  deeper.  Uncaprified  figs  are  practically  seedless, 
the  seeds  being  small  and  hardly  noticeable;  caprified  figs  have 
numerous,  large,  fertile  seeds. 

The  value  of  caprification  of  the  Kadota  fig  depends  upon  the 
ultimate  use  of  the  fruit.  The  green  color  given  the  skin  by  capri- 
fication is  unattractive  in  the  fresh-fruit  market  and  unacceptable 
to  canners.  For  drying,  the  caprified  figs,  being  larger  and  more 
meaty,  are  much  superior  to  the  uncaprified,  although  the  skin  is 
still  thick  and  tough.  For  preserving,  the  uncaprified  figs  are  much 
more  desirable  because  they  are  smaller,  better  in  appearance,  and 
have  a  firmer  texture.  Most  growers  prefer  the  uncaprified  fruit  and 
avoid  caprification  if  possible. 


ADAPTABILITY  TO  SOILS  AND  CLIMATES 

As  already  pointed  out,  the  Kadota  fig  seems  to  be  able  to  adapt 
itself  to  a  variety  of  conditions.  Vigorous  tree  growth  has  occurred 
on  a  wide  variety  of  soils.  It  should  be  noted,  however,  that  trees 
on  sandy  soils  are  more  likely  to  be  injured  by  root  knot  caused  by 
nematodes  than  trees  on  heavy  soils.  Kadota  figs  are  being  produced 
on  hard-pan  land  where  the  layers  of  hard  pan  are  thoroughly  broken 
up  by  blasting  the  tree  holes  before  planting.  If  use  is  made  of  hog- 
wallow  land  that  has  been  levelled,  it  may  be  difficult,  on  account  of 
the  varying  depth  of  the  surface  soil,  to  get  a  uniform  growth  of 
trees.  In  any  case,  and  with  any  type  of  soil,  thorough  preparation 
and  careful  leveling  of  the  land  are  essentials  to  success  in  Kadota 
production  on  account  of  the  absolute  necessity  for  irrigation. 


BUL.  436]  THE  KADOTA  FIG  15 

Commercial  production  of  Kadota  figs  for  canning  purposes  is 
most  successful  in  the  interior  valleys  and  in  districts  not  seriously 
affected  by  coast  fogs  and  cool  breezes.  The  greater  humidity  and 
lower  temperatures  of  the  coastal  belt  delay  maturity,  prevent  proper 
coloring  of  skin  and  accumulation  of  sugar,  produce  tenderness  of 
skin  and  rind,  and  increase  fruit  blemishes  as  well  as  tree  troubles. 
Kadota  trees  have  been  planted  in  the  Coachella  and  Imperial  valleys 
and  there  seems  to  be  no  good  reason  why  they  should  not  succeed 
there  in  commercial  plantings.  In  Tulare  and  Fresno  counties  serious 
loss  of  small  figs  sometimes  results  from  periods  of  high  temperatures 
in  June  or  July.  This  appears  to  be  analogous  to  the  so-called  June 
drop  of  the  Navel  orange,  in  which  the  developing  fruits  wilt  on 
account  of  excessive  transpiration  from  the  leaves.  This  loss  of  figs 
is  minimized  by  proper  attention  to  soil  mosture. 

During  the  1926  season,  canning  plants  at  Reedley,  Fresno,  and 
Orland  began  receiving  Kadota  figs  from  July  24  to  July  28;  at 
Modesto,  fig  canning  started  on  August  18  and  at  Stockton  on  August 
25.  On  account  of  the  lower  day  temperatures  and  relatively  higher 
humidity  at  Stockton,  figs  ripen  later  than  in  Fresno  and  Tulare 
counties.  What  effect  a  shorter  season  will  have  upon  total  production 
per  acre  can  only  be  shown  by  future  records.  Reference  to  the  tem- 
peratures for  four  points,  namely,  Visalia,  Fresno,  Merced,  and  Stock- 
ton for  the  months  of  June,  July,  August,  and  September,  1922,  a 
typical  year,  shows  the  following  mean  average  temperatures  for  day 
and  night  respectively :  Visalia,  97.3  and  59.8 ;  Fresno,  95.5  and  63.7 ; 
Merced,  94.7  and  58.8;  Stockton,  91.7  and  59.1  degrees  F.  At  Orland, 
the  day  temperatures  average  about  the  same  as  at  Merced.  Humidity 
records  are  not  available  for  Stockton,  but  the  conditions  in  this  respect 
are  very  similar  to  those  at  Sacramento.  The  average  mean  relative 
humidity  for  the  four  months  of  July,  August,  September,  and  October 
for  the  three  years  of  1922,  1925,  and  1926  at  each  of  the  following 
stations  is :  Sacramento,  54 ;  Fresno,  40 ;  Los  Angeles,  70. 

That  the  climatic  conditions  around  Los  Angeles  do  affect  the  can- 
ning quality  of  Kadota  figs  is  evidenced  by  the  opinion  of  canners 
themselves.  One  of  them  states  there  is  a  noticeable  difference  in  the 
figs  grown  around  Los  Angeles  and  those  grown  farther  north.  He 
considers  the  figs  grown  in  the  Fresno  and  Tulare  districts  better  for 
preserving  than  those  grown  in  the  vicinity  of  Los  Angeles. 

According  to  N.  E.  Beckwith,21  of  Reedley,  experience  in  his 
orchard  shows  the  following  as  to  crop  season : 


2i  Beckwith,  N.  E.     Heat  damage  to  Kadota  figs  discussed.     Fresno  Repub- 
lican, Farm  News  Section.     June  11,  1922. 


16  UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 

Crop  of   1918  Crop  of   1920 

August   56  per  cent  September   39  per  cent 

September    30  per  cent  August  45  per  cent 

Crop  of  1919  Crop  of  1921 

August  47  per  cent  August  56  per  cent 

September    42  per  cent  September    27  per  cent 

June,  July 

first  crop  6  per  cent  First  crop  9  per  cent 

From  this  it  appears  that  about  one-half  of  the  crop  matures  in  August,  about 
40  per  cent  in  September,  and  from  5  to  10  per  cent  in  October  at  Eeedley. 

In  1926  the  picking  season  for  second-crop  Kadota  figs  in  Tulare 
County  extended  from  July  21  to  October  21 ;  in  Fresno  County,  from 
July  27  to  October  19 ;  in  Merced  County,  from  August  12  to  October 
15;  in  Stanislaus  County,  from  August  9  to  October  29;  in  San 
Joaquin  County,  from  August  27  to  October  14 ;  and  in  Glenn  County, 
from  July  28  to  November  5. 

Strong  winds  cause  considerable  leaf  scarring  of  Kadota  figs. 
Such  scarred  fruit  is  either  not  acceptable  at  all  for  canning  or  accept- 
able only  at  reduced  prices.  Wind  damage  can  be  reduced  to  some 
extent  by  wind  breaks  planted  at  intervals  of  about  660  feet. 

Drops  of  rain  or  heavy  dew  remaining  on  the  fruit  leave  dark 
spots  which  ruin  the  naturally  good  appearance  of  the  fruit.  Pro- 
longed early  rains  may,  of  course,  result  in  serious  loss  of  crop. 

In  the  interior  valleys  the  cool  weather  of  the  fall  retards  ripening 
of  the  fruit  and  prevents  proper  coloring,  as  well  as  development  of 
sugar.  This  condition  is  liable  to  occur  throughout  the  season  along 
the  coast. 

Low  temperatures  accompanied  by  frost  seldom  come  at  a  time 
when  fruit  might  be  injured,  but  the  trees  themselves  are  liable  to 
damage,  especially  during  the  first  few  years.22  Early  frosts  coming 
in  November  while  the  foliage  is  still  green  frequently  kill  the  leaves 
and  the  buds  in  the  leaf  axils,  so  that  the  tree  must  be  renewed  from 
suckers  in  the  spring.  Late  spring  frosts  coming  after  buds  have 
started  growth  are  more  serious  than  fall  frosts  in  their  effects  because 
recovery  is  slow ;  in  fact,  numerous  trees  have  died  root  and  all  from 
sour  sap  after  such  spring  frosts.  Wrapping  of  young  fig  trees 
in  middle  or  late  October  with  corn  stalks,  tules,  or  straw  is  commonly 
practiced  to  prevent  damage  from  fall  frosts.  The  proper  time  for  the 
removal  of  wrappings  from  the  trees  is  difficult  to  decide  upon.    Their 


22  Condit,  I.   J.     Frost  prevention   measures   outlined.      Fresno   ^Republican, 
Farm  News  Section.     Oct.  15,  1922. 


BUL.  436]  THE   KADOTA   FIG  17 

removal  in  March  may  subject  the  tree  to  serious  injury  from  a  late 
frost  coming  after  growth  has  started.  Continuing  the  protection  into 
April  delays  cultivation,  pruning  of  the  trees,  and  removal  of  brush. 
The  latter  procedure  seems  to  be  the  safer  where  late  spring  frosts 
are  to  be  feared.  Hundreds  of  acres  of  young  fig  trees  have  been 
frozen  to  the  ground  in  various  districts,  and  this  hazard  must  be 
taken  into  account  in  establishing  a  Kadota  orchard. 


WATER  SUPPLY 

Since  irrigation  is  essential  to  successful  production  of  Kadota 
figs,  a  good  water  supply  must  be  assured.  Few  growers,  if  any, 
measure  the  amount  of  water  applied  to  fig  orchards,  but  in  general 
from  12  to  24  acre-inches  per  acre  of  irrigation  water  should  be  avail- 
able. The  amount  will  vary  with  the  rainfall,  nature  of  the  soil,  age 
and  vigor  of  tree,  climatic  conditions,  growth  of  cover  crop  or  weeds 
during  the  summer,  etc.  The  quality  of  the  water  used  for  irrigation 
is  just  as  important  as  the  quantity.  While  fig  trees  will  stand  more 
alkali  than  some  other  fruit  trees,  many  have  been  and  are  being 
seriously  injured  by  the  presence  of  various  salts  in  the  soil.  In 
general  it  can  be  said  that  the  presence  of  400  parts  per  million  of  one 
or  more  of  the  so-called  ' '  alkali ' '  salts  may  be  considered  the  maximum 
for  safety  in  fig-orchard  soils.  Analyses  recently  made  of  eight 
samples  of  well  water  to  be  used  for  irrigation  purposes  in  one  district 
showed  the  total  solids  to  range  from  226  parts  per  million  to  as  high 
as  :]792  parts  per  million.  Many  citrus  growers  have  learned  to  their 
sorrow  the  danger  of  using  salty  water  for  irrigation  purposes.  Pros- 
pective investors  in  fig  lands  should  thoroughly  investigate  this  as 
well  as  other  matters  connected  with  the  water  supply. 


PROPAGATION 

Fig  trees  are  grown  exclusively  from  cuttings;  budding  or  graft- 
ing of.  nursery  stock  is  not  necessary.  Wood  for  cuttings  is  available 
at  any  time  during  the  winter  but  is  usually  prepared  at  pruning 
time.  Since  Kadota  trees  are  generally  pruned  heavily,  there  is  plenty 
of  vigorous  wood  from  which  to  select  good  cuttings.  Tip  cuttings 
can  be  used  but  have  a  greater  tendency  to  sucker  on  account  of  the 
greater  number  of  buds  which  start  into  growth.  Because  the  amount 
of  growth  depends  to  a  certain  extent  upon  the  plant  food  stored  in 
the  cutting,  small  wood  (branches  less  than  three-eighths  of  an  inch 


18  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

in  diameter)  should  not  be  used.  The  cuts  are  made  with  a  pair  of 
sharp  pruning  shears  just  below  a  joint  at  the  base  and  just  above 
a  joint  at  the  tip,  leaving  the  cuttings  from  8  to  10  inches  in  length. 
These  are  tied  with  wire  into  bundles  of  fifty  and  buried  in  a  well- 
drained  loam  soil,  butt  ends  up,  to  remain  until  the  nursery  space  is 
ready  for  planting.  The  cuttings  are  then  set  upright  a  few  inches 
apart  in  furrows  prepared  with  a  plow  or  a  shallow  subsoiler,  the 
rows  being  spaced  four  feet  apart.  Planting  should  be  immediately 
followed  by  an  irrigation.  Soil  moisture  should  later  be  carefully 
regulated  so  as  to  maintain  a  steady  growth  of  the  young  trees. 
Suckers  and  laterals  are  removed  whenever  they  appear.  Rooted  fig 
trees  may  be  dug  and  planted  when  one  year  old.  If  not  dug,  the 
nursery  tree  should  be  cut  back  almost  to  the  ground  before  spring 
growth  starts,  and  a  new  top  grown  as  before.  A  one-year  trunk  on 
a  two-year  root  system  makes  an  ideal  tree  for  orchard  planting,  as 
buds  from  new  wood  start  much  more  readily  than  from  wood  two 
years  old. 

Some  growers  have  had  good  success  in  planting  cuttings  directly 
in  the  orchard  where  they  are  to  grow  without  transplanting.  How- 
ever, it  is  much  easier  to  take  care  of  cuttings  properly  in  a  small 
nursery  than  on  a  larger  tract,  and  the  practice  of  field  planting  of 
fig  cuttings  is  not  to  be  encouraged. 

Fig  trees  of  any  other  variety  can  be  grafted  over  to  the  Kadota 
if  they  are  healthy  and  vigorous.  The  scions  should  be  placed  in  low 
branches  in  order  to  facilitate  the  development  of  the  spreading  type 
of  tree  later  described.  Branches  up  to  3  or  4  inches  in  diameter 
can  be  grafted  by  the  common  cleft  system,  but  larger  wood  is  gen- 
erally bark  grafted.  Young  trees  are  being  budded  successfully  in 
the  Merced  section. 


STARTING  THE  ORCHARD 

One  of  the  oldest  and  most  successful  Kadota  orchards  in  Cali- 
fornia is  spaced  40  by  40  feet.  It  is  generally  conceded  that  the  trees 
have  been  planted  too  far  apart,  especially  during  the  early  life  of 
the  orchard.  Many  young  trees  have  been  set  24  or  25  feet  on  the 
square,  which  seems  to  be  the  most  favored  spacing.  Some  growers 
are  planting  a  tree  in  the  center  of  the  square  with  the  expectation 
of  removal  when  crowding  begins.  Others  are  planting  in  rows 
20  or  24  feet  apart  with  the  trees  10  or  12  feet  apart  in  the  row.  The 
latter  allows  a  wide  space  for  tractors  and  cultivators,  for  irrigation 


BUL.  436]  THE  KADOTA  FIG  19 

furrows,  and  for  harvesting,  and  gives  heavier  yields  for  the  first 
few  years  than  does  the  wider  spacing. 

Roots  of  one-year-old  fig  trees  are  tender  and  easily  mangled, 
while  those  of  two-year-old  trees  are  firm  and  well  united  to  the  stock. 
In  digging  and  transplanting  trees  of  any  age,  care  should  be  taken 
to  preserve  the  main  roots  as  much  as  possible.  Fig  roots  are  unusually 
susceptible  to  injury  from  exposure  to  sunshine  or  dry  air ;  thousands 
of  trees  have  been  thus  ruined  or  seriously  damaged.  Nursery  trees 
should  be  heeled  in  promptly  after  digging,  covered  completely  with 
canvas  if  transported  any  distance,  and  the  roots  kept  from  drying 
out  until  actual  planting  is  accomplished. 

Fig  nursery  stock  is  sorted  into  grades  of  trees  from  %  to  %  inch 
in  caliper  and  from  2  to  6  feet  or  more  in  height.  There  seems  to  be 
no  advantage  in  planting  large  fig  trees  since  medium-sized  trees 
with  a  good  root  system  make  an  excellent  growth  if  properly  handled. 
The  planting  of  fig  trees  differs  little  from  the  planting  of  any  other 
fruit  tree.  In  old  grain  land  or  in  soils  where  a  plow  sole  has  been 
formed,  subsoiling  in  the  tree  row  is  a  good  practice.  Holes  can  be 
dug  before  or  at  the  time  of  planting.  Since  fig  trees  are  grown  on 
their  own  roots  there  is  no  disadvantage,  but  probably  an  advantage 
in  setting  the  young  tree  two  or  three  inches  deeper  than  it  stood  in 
the  nursery.  Immediately  after  the  planting,  water  should  be  applied 
from  a  furrow,  or  from  a  tank  wagon  if  the  irrigation  system  is  not 
completed. 

ORCHARD    MANAGEMENT 

Tillage  Operations. — Cultivation  and  handling  of  the  soil  in  a 
Kadota  fig  orchard  follows  closely  the  methods  used  by  intelligent 
growers  of  peaches,  apricots,  or  plums.  Spring  plowing  or  disking 
to  incorporate  with  the  soil  the  natural  vegetation  grown  during  the 
winter  and  early  spring  is  necessary.  Subsequent  cultivation  does 
not  conserve  moisture  except  as  it  prevents  weed  growth.  It  pre- 
pares the  land  to  receive  water  either  from  rain  or  from  an  irrigation 
system.  Frequent  cultivations  at  the  same  depth,  especially  when 
the  ground  is  wet,  compact  the  soil  into  what  is  commonly  called  a 
"plow  pan"  or  "plow  sole."  This  can  be  avoided  by  reducing  the 
number  of  cultivations  to  the  minimum,  by  varying  the  depth  of 
cultivation,  and  by  proper  use  of  cover  crops. 

While  clean  cultivation  is  the  usual  practice  in  fig  orchards,  many 
growers  are  allowing  weeds  and  grass  to  grow  along  the  irrigation 
furrows  during  the  summer  season,  and  eliminating  cultivation  after 


20 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


irrigation.  A  few  have  planted  a  strip  of  alfalfa  in  the  row  with 
open  furrows  on  either  side  next  to  the  trees.  The  competition 
between  the  alfalfa  and  the  trees  is  bound  to  be  more  or  less  keen 
both  for  water  and  plant  food  and  the  practice  is  not  to  be  generally 
encouraged.  The  other  practice  of  non-cultivation  is  being  success- 
fully followed  in  young  orchards,  but  in  connection  with  it  more 
irrigation  water  must  be  applied  to  replace  that  lost  through  the  leaves 
of  weeds  and  grass.  To  what  extent  such  a  practice  encourages  the 
development  of  a  shallow  root  system  has  not  been  determined. 


-;^s      :>.■■■ 


Fig.    6. — Furrow   irrigation   in    a    Kadota    orchard   near    Reedlcy. 


On  account  of  the  low  and  spreading  type  of  tree  developed  for 
Kadota  figs,  types  of  cultivators  and  implements  that  have  extensions 
are  desirable.  The  shade  produced  by  the  trees  during  the  summer 
discourages  weed  growth  and  minimizes  the  necessity  for  cultivation 
near  the  trunk. 

Irrigation. — In  order  to  apply  irrigation  water  intelligently,  it  is 
necessary  to  understand  how  the  tree  uses  soil  moisture  and  how 
water  moves  in  the  soil.  The  tree  takes  moisture  from  the  soil  only 
through  the  fine  root  hairs  and  loses  it  only  by  transpiration  from 
green  leaves  or  to  a  slight  extent  from  the  bark.  Except  for  some 
surface  evaporation  following  an  irrigation,  water  is  lost  from  the 
soil  only  through  plant  roots  and  leaves  or  by  percolation  to  depths 
below  the  root  zone.  The  movement  of  water  by  capillarity  from  a 
mass  of  moist  soil  to  a  dry  one  is  so  slow  that  it  is  of  doubtful  value 
to  the  tree.  This  emphasizes  the  importance  of  wetting  the  entire 
soil  mass  including  that  in  the  tree  row  as  well  as  in  the  space  between 
the  rows.    Irrigation  furrows  (fig.  6)  should  be  close  enough  together 


BUL.  436]  THE   KADOTA   FIG  21 

to  wet  the  soil  between  them.  By  the  use  of  a  soil  auger  one  can 
determine  the  depth  to  which  irrigation  water  has  penetrated.  Some 
growers  learn  to  determine  this  by  the  appearance  of  the  tree,  but 
it  is  poor  practice  to  wait  until  the  leaves  droop  and  green  fruit  wilts 
before  beginning  to  apply  irrigation  water.  Serious  loss  of  crop  may 
result  from  such  delay. 

It  is  impossible  to  give  definite  directions  as  to  the  number  of 
times  to  irrigate,  the  length  of  furrows,  the  amount  of  water  to  use, 
or  the  method  of  application.  These  vary  according  to  locality,  soil 
type,  climate,  and  season.  The  object  sought  is  to  keep  the  terminal 
buds  growing  steadily,  and  to  stimulate  a  normal  set  as  well  as  proper 
maturity  of  fruit.  In  at  least  two  orchards  in  the  San  Joaquin  Valley, 
Kadota  fig  trees  have  made  an  excessive  vegetative  growth,  but  fruit 
production  has  been  disappointing.  To  what  extent  soil  moisture 
has  influenced  tree  growth  and  production  in  these  orchards  has  not 
been  determined. 

In  the  hotter  parts  of  the  interior  valleys,  it  is  a  common  practice 
to  provide  a  late  winter  or  early  spring  irrigation  to  supplement  the 
natural  rainfall  or  to  help  any  deficiency  in  supply.  This,  of  course, 
is  not  necessary  in  case  the  winter  rains  have  brought  the  soil  moisture 
in  the  root  zone  up  to  the  optimum.  After  spring  cultivation,  irri- 
gation water  is  commonly  applied  at  intervals  of  about  a  month, 
depending  upon  the  conditions  already  mentioned.  In  uncultivated 
orchards  water  may  be  run  every  ten  days  or  two  weeks  during  the 
hottest  part  of  the  season.  Sufficient  moisture  should  be  maintained 
during  the  fall  months  to  prevent  early  or  abnormal  leaf  drop.  Late 
irrigation  of  young  trees  has  a  tendency  to  prolong  the  growing  season, 
if  weather  conditions  are  favorable,  and  to  accentuate  the  danger  from 
fall  frosts. 

Intercropping. — Satisfactory  intercrops  for  young  fig  trees  are 
very  limited  in  number.  In  Stanislaus  County  beans  thrive  and  have 
made  a  satisfactory  as  well  as  profitable  intercrop.  Vegetables  have 
been  tried  in  some  districts  with  varying  but  usually  unsatisfactory 
results.  On  the  right  kind  of  soil,  cotton  offers  good  possibilities  as 
a  crop  for  young  orchards.  Since  Kadota  trees  are  spaced  more 
closely  than  other  fig  trees,  and  since  the  young  trees  bear  a  certain 
amount  of  fruit,  the  practice  of  interplanting  or  double  planting  the 
rows  with  the  Kadota  tree  itself  probably  offers  as  good  a  chance 
for  profitable  returns  as  any  annual  intercrop. 

Fertilization. — The  maintenance  of  soil  fertility  in  deciduous  fruit 
orchards  of  California  has  been  much  discussed  in  the  past  but  definite 


22  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

facts  on  the  subject  are  lacking.  Since  both  walnut  and  fig  trees  are 
deep  rooted,  the  results  of  the  application  of  commercial  fertilizers 
to  the  surface  soil  will  be  very  slowly  apparent  if  at  all.  Three  exten- 
sive field  trials  with  different  kinds  and  amounts  of  fertilizers  on 
walnut  trees  in  southern  California  have  after  seven  years  shown  an 
increase  of  production  from  nitrogen  alone,  and  that  insufficient  to 
pay  for  the  cost  of  the  material  applied.  Two  seasons'  applications 
of  fertilizers  to  bearing  fig  trees  in  various  parts  of  the  San  Joaquin 
Valley  failed  to  show  any  visible  effects  on  tree  or  fruit.  This  does 
not  mean,  however,  that  no  attempts  should  be  made  to  maintain  the 
natural  fertility  of  the  soil  or  to  improve  it. 

Experiments  with  other  fruit  trees,  especially  citrus,  in  California, 
have  shown  that  the  application  of  potassium  or  phosphorus  has  not 
been  beneficial,  that  nitrogen  is  the  only  element,  and  organic  matter 
the  only  other  fertilizing  material,  which  have  decidedly  improved 
tree  growth  or  production.  The  fall  application  of  some  bulky  organic 
material  such  as  bean  straw,  alfalfa  hay,  or  barnyard  manure  is 
generally  advisable.  Early  spring  application  of  some  form  of  quickly 
available  nitrogen  such  as  nitrate  of  lime  or  sulfate  of  ammonia,  or 
of  organic  nitrogen  such  as  dried  blood,  tankage,  bone  meal,  etc.,  may 
be  desirable  to  stimulate  growth  and  yields. 

The  growing  of  a  winter  cover  crop  is  to  be  recommended.  The 
kind  of  crop  to  use,  and  the  time  and  method  of  planting  should  be 
ascertained  from  county  agricultural  agents. 

There  is  a  very  general  impression  that  the  fig  tree  is  a  ''lime- 
loving"  plant  and  therefore  the  application  of  lime  to  the  orchard  soil 
will  be  decidedly  beneficial.  Most  soils  in  California,  however,  are 
well  supplied  with  lime.  The  use  of  lime  in  citrus  orchards  has  rarely 
shown  any  beneficial  results.  In  a  Modesto  fig  orchard,  the  application 
of  amounts  of  lime  varying  from  three  and  one-half  to  ten  and  one- 
half  tons,  and  of  gypsum  up  to  three  and  one-half  tons  to  the  acre 
showed  no  improvement  either  in  soil  condition  or  tree  behavior. 

Pruning. — The  Kadota  fig  tree  has  not  been  grown  commercially 
for  a  sufficient  length  of  time  to  determine  the  best  and  most  satis- 
factory system  of  pruning.  No  pruning  plots  have  been  established 
and  carried  through  a  period  of  years  with  yield  records  as  have 
been  done  with  many  other  fruit  trees.  The  practices  which  are  being 
used  more  or  less  successfully  by  various  growers  will  therefore  be 
discussed. 

For  purposes  of  harvesting  fresh  figs  economically  a  low,  spread- 
ing  type   of  tree   is   desirable    (fig.    7).     A   standard   tree  with   a 


BtJL.  436]  THE   KADOTA  FIG  23 

single  trunk  is  generally  preferred  to  one  with  several  trunks.  After 
planting,  therefore,  the  young  tree  is  cut  back  just  above  a  bud 
or  joint  about  12  inches  from  the  surface  of  the  ground.  Waxing 
over  of  the  tops  to  prevent  die-back  is  not  necessary.  If  one-year-old 
trunks  have  been  planted,  buds  should  readily  start  from  various 
points,  and  from  three  to  five  well-spaced  framework  branches  can  be 
selected.  On  older  trunks  the  buds  are  more  dormant,  slower  to  start, 
and  generally  appear  near  the  top.    Judging  from  the  behavior  and 


Fig.  7. — Example  of  improper  heading  and  pruning  of  a  Kadota  fig  tree.  The 
picking  expense  on  such  a  tree  is  almost  prohibitive. 

appearance  of  bearing  trees,  three  framework  branches  are  most  satis- 
factory. 

In  case  young  trees  are  frozen  back  to  the  main  trunk  or  to  the 
ground  the  tree  must  be  developed  from  suckers.  It  may  be  possible 
to  find  one  central  leader  from  which  a  standard  tree  can  be  developed. 
Generally,  however,  several  strong  suckers  start  in  various  directions 
from  the  trunk,  in  which  case  three  or  possibly  four  can  be  selected 
for  the  framework  of  the  tree.  It  is  very  important  in  selecting 
such  suckers  to  see  that  they  are  firmly  attached  to  the  main  trunk. 
Suckers  which  are  not  desired  should  be  removed  early  in  the  growing 
season  and  not  left  until  winter. 

Subsequent  pruning  may  follow  one  of  two  much-discussed  sys- 
tems.    Advocates  of  long  pruning  believe  that  Kadota  fig  trees  can 


24 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 


be  developed  for  several  years  at  least,  by  the  same  methods  whieh 
are  now  being  commonly  used  with  other  deciduous  fruit  trees.22 
The  main  branches  are  not  headed  back  at  the  end  of  the  first  season, 
and  laterals  are  encouraged  to  develop  during  the  second  season 
(fig.  8).    Subsequent  pruning  consists  in  thinning  out  branches  Avhere 


Fig.  8. — A  long-pruned  tree  in  the  pruning  plot  at  Stockton,  before  and  after 
pruning.  This  S3rstem  results  in  a  larger  first  crop  of  figs  and  earlier  ripening 
of  the  main  crop,  and  lias  been  used  successfully  in  Tulare  County.  A.  Before 
pruning;  B.  After  pruning. 

they  become  too  thick  and  cutting  back  some  of  the  laterals  to  renewal 
spurs  as  illustrated.  Limited  experience  with  this  system  indicates 
that  earlier  production  may  be  secured  than  by  the  other  system  to 
be  described.  Since  most  of  the  wood  of  the  previous  season  remains 
on  the  tree,  there  is  a  heavy  production  of  first-crop  figs  which  may 
be  marketed  more  or  less  profitably  as  fresh  fruit.  In  one  orchard 
thus  pruned  the  trees  made  a  vigorous  growth  and  even  at  the  end 
of  six  growing  seasons  the  fruit  was  still  being  harvested  without  the 
use  of  stepladders.  The  main  difficulty  with  this  system  is  the  same 
one  experienced  with  vigorous  Calimyrna  trees,  viz.,  lack  of  develop- 
ment of  laterals  except  near  the  tip.  Summer  pruning  of  uprights 
at  the  desired  height  will  overcome  this  objection,  however,  if  it  is 
systematically  practiced.  Closely  planted  trees  may  be  pruned  to  an 
upright  form  with  lateral  spurs  similar  to  the  system  used  with  some 
varieties  of  grapes  (fig.  9). 

22  Tufts,  W.  P.  Pruning  young  deciduous  fruit  trees.  Calif.  Agr.  Exp.  Sta., 
Bui.  313:113-149.     1919. 


Bul.  436] 


THE    KADOTA   FIG 


25 


The  great  majority  of  Kadota  orchards  are,  however,  being 
developed  by  heavy  annual  pruning.  The  dwarfing  effect  of  heavy 
stubbing  back  of  fig  trees  may  not  be  so  marked  as  in  some  other  fruit 
trees23 ;  furthermore  the  fig  crop  is  produced  on  vigorous  wood  secured 
by  such  pruning.  In  this  system  the  three  framework  branches  are 
cut  back  to  12-inch  or  14-inch  stubs  at  the  end  of  the  first  growing 
season.  The  cut  should  be  made  just  above  an  outside  bud  to  encour- 
age spread.     Framework  branches  which  come  out  at  an  acute  angle 


Fig.  9. — An  upright  tree  pruned  to  lateral  spurs,  a  system  possibly  adapted  to 
small  grounds,  and  closely  planted  orchards. 


may  split  down  in  future  years  and  should  be  selected  with  this  in 
mind.  Central  wire  bracing  may  be  applicable  in  such  cases  but  the 
wires  seriously  interfere  with  picking  of  the  fruit.  At  the  end  of  the 
second  season  the  upright  branches  should  be  thinned  out  to  two  or 
three,  and  each  one  cut  back  to  a  stub  10  or  12  inches  in  length.  The 
aim  should  be  to  develop  a  flat-topped,  spreading  type  of  tree ;  there- 
fore inside  branches  are  cut  shorter  than  outside  ones  (fig.  10).  Low 
hanging  branches  should  not  all  be  removed  but  the  strongest  ones 
should  be  cut  back  to  two  or  three  buds,  the  stubs  to  serve  as  renewal 
spurs. 

Subsequent  pruning  consists  in  cutting  back  vigorous  upright 
branches  each  year  to  stubs  shorter  than  in  previous  seasons.  If 
sufficient  spread  lias  already  been  secured  the  stubs  may  be  left  slic- 


es Three-year  records  of  percentage  increases  in  trunk  circumferences  of  280 
Calimyrna  fig  trees  pruned  in  different  ways  show  the  following:  heavy  prun- 
ing, 25.2  per  cent;  light  pruning,  26.3;  and  minimum  or  no  pruning,  26.4  per 
cent  average  increase. 


26  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

A  C 


Fig.  10. — A  and  B.  A  three-year-old  Kadota  fig  tree  before  and  after  pruning. 
C  and  D.  Same  tree  after  two  season's  growth. 

cessively  shorter  until  in  bearing  trees  they  show  only  two  or  three 
buds,  or  sufficient  to  produce  the  new  wood  desired  (fig.  11).  The 
center  of  the  tree  should  be  kept  open  sufficiently  to  allow  pruners 
and  pickers  easy  access.  A  passageway  for  workmen  is  generally 
kept  free  from  brush  on  one  side  of  the  tree. 

Time  of  Pruning  and  the  Protection  of  Cuts. — Mature  fig  trees 
may  be  pruned  at  any  time  after  the  leaves  drop  and  the  wood  becomes 
dormant.  The  practice  of  pruning  any  fruit  tree  before  the  leaves 
mature  is  fundamentally  wrong  since  the  manufacture  of  plant  food 
and  its  storage  in  the  branches  continue  practically  until  the  leaves 
turn  yellow  and  are  ready  to  drop.  While  there  is  no  experimental 
evidence  to  prove  it,  there  is  a  general  impression  that  fig  trees  pruned 
shortly  after  the  leaves  fall  will  bud  out  earlier  in  the  spring  than 
trees  pruned  in  January  or  February.     Such  early  pruning  might 


Bul.  436] 


THE   KADOTA   FIG 


27 


v  -  Mfu  ik^Pw  w¥><! 


Fig.  11. — A.  Eleven-year-old  tree  in  December,  1925,  before  pruning.  B. 
Same,  after  pruning.  C.  Same  tree,  December,  1926.  (Courtesy  of  Beckwith  Co., 
Reedley.) 


28  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

help  to  hasten  the  breaking  of  the  rest  period  and  to  overcome  the 
advantage  of  polarity  of  the  terminal  buds.  On  heavy  land,  early 
pruning,  after  leaf  drop,  is  to  be  favored,  because  the  work  can  often 
be  finished  and  the  brush  removed  before  winter  rains  soak  up  the 
ground.  Pruned  fig  trees  have  shown  no  greater  susceptibility  to 
frost  damage  or  to  drying  out  at  the  tips  than  unpruned  trees  of  the 
same  age,  grown  under  the  same  conditions.  Unusually  severe 
weather  might,  however,  result  in  greater  injury  to  early  pruned  trees. 
Spring  pruning  of  fig  trees  after  growth  starts  will  delay  the  lower 
and  more  dormant  buds,  that  is,  give  the  tree  a  "  set  back, ' '  and  should 
be  practiced  only  in  case  late  spring  frosts  are  to  be  feared. 

The  stubs  of  branches  headed  back  in  winter  do  not  need  protec- 
tion. The  same  is  true  of  small  pruning  wounds  on  the  trunk  and 
main  framework  branches.  Wounds  two  inches  or  more  in  diameter 
on  old  trees  should  be  painted  over  with  a  dressing  such  as  asphaltum. 


HANDLING  THE  CEOP 

In  California  the  Kadota  fig  is  primarily  grown  for  fresh-fruit 
purposes.  As  a  dried  fig  it  is  not  regarded  favorably.  Even  in  Italy, 
where  the  Dottato  furnishes  the  bulk  of  the  figs  for  both  local  and 
export  trade,  the  quality  of  the  dried  fruit  fails  to  approximate  that 
of  the  Smyrna  fig  either  in  thinness  and  texture  of  skin  or  syrupy 
nature  of  the  pulp.  The  rubbery  texture  of  the  meat  or  rind  which 
makes  the  fresh  Kadota  fig  almost  ideal  for  canning  purposes,  pro- 
duces an  inferior,  leathery  product  when  dried.  Packers  generally 
class  dried  Kadota  figs  with  the  White  Adriatic  and  pay  the  same 
price  for  them  according  to  grade.  Since  the  dried  Kadota  is  on  the 
average  somewhat  smaller  than  the  Adriatic  and  considerably  smaller 
than  the  Calimyrna,  the  proportion  of  fancy  and  extra  fancy  fruit  is 
comparatively  low. 

In  districts  where  Kadota  and  Calimyrna  orchards  are  in  prox- 
imity, a  problem  in  handling  the  crop  presents  itself.  Some  of  the 
Kadota  figs  become  caprified.  Since  the  caprified  figs  are  not  attrac- 
tive for  fresh-fruit  markets  and  not  accepted  by  canners,  they  should 
be  left  on  the  tree  for  drying.  The  difficulty  is  to  harvest  the  uncapri- 
fied  fresh  figs  without  having  the  ripe  and  dried  fruit  trampled  into 
the  ground  by  pickers.  To  help  overcome  this  problem,  the  fresh  figs 
should  be  picked  at  frequent  intervals  and  the  dried  fruit  removed 
from  the  ground  before  each  picking. 


Bul.  436]  THE  KADOTA  FIG  29 

Fresh-Fruit  Shipping. — The  brebas  or  first-crop  Kadota  figs  arc 
excellent  for  table  use  on  account  of  their  appearance,  large  size,  and 
good  quality.  They  find  a  ready  sale  in  local  markets  that  are  not 
overstocked.  Such  figs  should  be  well  developed,  properly  colored, 
firm  ripe,  and  packed  in  an  attractive  manner.  The  carrying  qualities 
to  distant  markets  in  comparison  with  the  Mission  fig  have  not  been 
determined. 

Except  for  the  very  first  pickings,  second-crop  Kadota  figs  are 
somewhat  small  in  size  to  compete  successfully  on  the  fresh-fruit 
market  with  the  Calimyrna  or  Brown  Turkey.  This  applies  both  to 
local  and  distant  markets.  Many  people,  however,  prefer  the  fresh 
Kadota  fig  for  table  use  and  for  home  canning  because  it  is  practically 
seedless  and  is  mild  in  flavor.  While  limited  shipments  have  been 
made  to  eastern  cities,  it  appears  that  the  Kadota  fig  has  a  tendency 
to  develop  dark  spots  in  the  skin  when  packed  and  shipped  in  re- 
frigerator cars.  The  same  is  true  to  a  certain  extent  of  fresh  Kadota 
fi*rs  on  local  markets.  The  success  of  the  second-crop  Kadota  fig  as 
a  fresh  fruit  shipped  to  distant  markets  on  a  large  scale  in  competition 
with  the  Calimyrna  has  yet  to  be  demonstrated. 

Fruit  for  Preserving  and  Canning. — Since  the  Kadota  fig  is  being 
largely  used  for  preserving  and  canning  it  is  important  for  the  grower 
to  study  the  specifications  submitted  by  the  packer.  Cultural  methods 
should  then  be  worked  out  which  will  produce  the  maximum  quantity 
of  the  fruit  desired.  Most  packers  specify  figs  of  a  golden-yellow 
color,  free  from  over- ripe,  sunburned,  or  caprified  fruit.  "He  does 
not  want  over-ripe  figs  because  they  go  into  jam  and  he  develops 
sufficient  jam  stock  during  the  processing.  Green  figs  shrivel  in  the 
cooking,  do  not  fill  out  nicely,  and  are  inferior  in  appearance.  Sun- 
burned figs  have  a  tough  fiber,  do  not  take  the  sugar  properly,  and 
have  yellow  hard  spots  especially  around  the  eye,  making  the  fruit 
unpalatable.  Caprified  figs  are  worthless  to  the  preserver  as  they 
have  a  green  color,  contain  many  seeds,  and  do  not  take  the  syrup 
properly."24  Some  preservers  prefer  the  figs  with  short  stems  left 
attached,  but  most  canners  are  not  particular  on  this  point. 

Pickers  equipped  with  gloves  and  a  picking  hook  to  pull  in 
branches  should  go  over  the  tree  often  enough  to  get  a  large  propor- 
tion of  the  fruit  in  the  condition  desired  by  the  canner.  This  may 
mean  every  second  or  third  day  in  the  height  of  the  season.    The  fruit 


-i  Kimball,  J.  IT.     Fijjs  for  preserving.     Proe.  Tenth  Ann.  Fi<>-  Inst.,  Fresno, 
pp.  12()-I2i>.     192(3. 


30  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

is  picked  into  one-gallon  cans,  shallow  buckets,  or  baskets,  suspended 
by  a  strap  or  rope  from  the  shoulders.  Pickers  are  paid  by  the  day, 
or  preferably  by  the  hour,  plus  a  bonus  for  every  box  credited  to 
them.  Pickers  average  300  to  400  pounds  a  day  during  the  season. 
For  local  delivery,  shallow  lug  boxes  holding  from  18  to  20  pounds 
are' used.  For  express  shipments  to  distant  canneries,  shallow  crates 
are  generally  furnished  by  the  buyers. 


Fig.  12. — Size  grades  of  Kadota  figs  for  canning,  from  small  to  large  as 
follows:  iy16,  1%6,  2i/16,  23/1G)  2%6,  27/16j  and  3%(.  inches,  packing  from  60  to  180 
figs  to  a  No.  10  can. 

Grades. — The  size  grades  of  figs  put  up  at  Reedley,  with  the  num- 
ber in  a  No.  10  can,  run  about  as  follows:  1%6  of  an  inch  in  diameter, 
packing  180;  1Q/16,  packing  160;  21/16,  packing  140;  23/16,  packing  120; 
2%6,  packing  100;  2%6,  packing  80;  and  3%6,  packing  60  to  a  No.  10 
tin  (fig.  12).  Early  in  the  season,  larger  figs  are  sometimes  packed 
30  to  40  to  a  can. 

Growers  of  Kadota  figs  must  consider  the  labor  problem.  From 
late  July  to  middle  October  there  is  or  should  be  a  steady  succession 
of  crop  which  must  be  picked  in  the  right  condition  for  most  profitable 
returns.  Steady,  reliable  pickers  must  be  available  for,  as  elsewhere 
stated,  the  over-ripe  and  dried  product  cannot  be  relied  upon  for 
much  revenue. 


BUL.  436]  THE   KADOTA   FIG  31 


YIELDS 

The  Kadota  fig  tree  is  precocious  and  a  heavy  producer  when 
compared  to  Calimyrna,  Mission,  or  Adriatic  trees  of  the  same  age. 
In  some  parts  of  southern  California  it  does  not  compare  favorably 
in  production  with  the  Brown  Turkey.  The  most  successful  Kadota 
orchard  in  California,  planted  in  1915  with  thirty-seven  trees  to  the 
acre,  produced  in  1925  four  tons,  and  in  1926  five  tons,  of  marketable 
fruit  to  the  acre.  Figures  sometimes  seen,  on  the  probable  crop  from 
the  same  orchard  with  more  trees  planted  per  acre,  are  mere  specu- 
lation. 

The  results  of  a  survey  recently  made,  show  that  very  few  Kadota 
orchards  produce  enough  fruit  the  third  season  to  make  it  worth 
harvesting  commercially.  Even  in  the  fourth  and  fifth  seasons,  hun- 
dreds of  acres  have  failed  to  produce  crops  worthy  of  commercial 
consideration.  On  the  other  hand,  some  orchards  which  have  escaped 
serious  frost  injury  and  have  had  good  care  have  produced  from  a  ton 
to  a  ton  and  a  half  of  marketable  fruit  during  the  fourth  season. 
The  records  of  production  given  in  table  1  (p.  36)  are  taken  from 
orchards  considered  successful  for  their  districts.  They  show  a  wide 
variation  in  pounds  of  fruit  per  acre.  Other  records  show  the  follow- 
ing production  per  acre :  one  orchard  fourth  season,  4000  pounds ;  two 
orchards  sixth  season,  1500,  and  5055  pounds  respectively;  one 
orchard  seventh  season,  4071  pounds ;  one  orchard  eighth  season,  3181 
pounds  of  fresh  fruit.  As  in  all  horticultural  crops,  the  average 
production  of  Kadota  figs  per  acre,  if  figures  were  available  for  the 
total  acreage,  would  be  very  low  indeed.  When  considering  the  total 
production  of  fresh  fruit  per  acre  the  Kadota  fig  suffers  materially 
in  comparison  with  the  canning  peach,  which  frequently  produces 
three  tons  per  acre  the  third  season,  ten  tons  at  five  years  and  twenty 
tons  or  more  when  in  full  production.  Such  terms  as  ''guaranteed 
production"  appearing  in  advertising  pamphlets  are  entirely  mis- 
leading when  applied  to  farm  and  orchard  crops,  which  depend  so 
completely  on  the  vicissitudes  of  climate,  rainfall,  and  pests,  to  say 
nothing  of  price  fluctuations.  The  best  guarantee  of  successful  pro- 
duction and  returns  is  the  presence  of  the  owner  on  the  property  and 
his  personal  supervision.  This  can  be  emphasized  by  the  following 
example:  In  Tulare  County  there  are  two  adjoining  orchards,  both 
planted  in  1920.  In  1925  No.  1  was  operated  by  the  owner  living  on 
the  property  and  No.  2  by  an  absentee  owner.     The  crop  on  the  first 


32  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

orchard  of  thirteen  acres  totalled  13%  tons,  while  on  the  second  of 
seven  acres  the  crop  was  only  %  of  a  ton.  Early  in  1926  the  owner 
of  orchard  No.  1  took  charge  of  No.  2  as  well  as  his  own,  and  that 
season  delivered  48.5  tons  of  figs  from  the  twenty  acres,  32.2  tons 
from  his  own  and  16.1  tons  from  the  second  orchard. 


DISEASES 

The  Kadota  is  somewhat  similar  to  .the  Mission  fig  in  that  the  tree 
thrives  and  produces  excellent  fruit  in  a  wide  variety  of  soils  and 
climates.  Figs  of  both  varieties  are  almost  closed  at  the  eye,  and 
insects  which  carry  yeasts  and  bacteria  enter  with  difficulty,  if  at  all. 
Souring25  of  the  mature  fruit  is,  therefore,  of  rare  occurrence.  For 
the  same  reason  fig  smut26  is  seldom  found  either  in  Kadota  or  Mission 
figs.  When  caprified,  however,  fruit  of  both  varieties  is  susceptible 
to  endosepsis  or  internal  rot,27  a  disease  known  to  be  introduced  into 
the  fig  by  the  female  blastophaga. 

Winter  die-back  of  the  branches  of  young  fig  trees  is  a  common 
occurrence  and  is  the  result  of  leaving  green  fruit  on  the  tree  in  the 
fall.  Such  figs  soften  or  are  frosted  and  become  infected  with  a 
fungus  (generally  a  species  of  Botrytis).  This  frequently  extends 
through  the  stem  of  the  fig  and  kills  the  bud  or  girdles  the  branch. 
This  is  of  little  consequence  in  case  heavy  pruning  is  practiced  since 
the  die-back  seldom  progresses  below  the  joint  or  cut  desired  by  the 
pruner. 

In  Italy,  as  in  California,  the  Kadota  fig  has  few  serious  diseases. 
Ferrari  states  that  a  gummosis  of  the  fruit,28  probably  a  form  of 
souring,  is  prevalent  in  the  district  of  Cosenza. 


OECHAED  INJUEIES  AND  PESTS 

The  danger  of  frost  injury  to  young  fig  trees  has  already  been 
discussed.  Another  climatic  factor  which  may  cause  serious  loss  of 
marketable  fruit  is  sunburn,  already  referred  to  under  picking.  Sun- 
burned fruit  is  generally  the  result  of  lack  of  vigor  in  the  tree  because 

25  Caldis,  P.  D.  Souring  and  internal  rot  of  the  fig.  Pac.  Eural  Press, 
111:500.     1926. 

26 Phillips,  Edith  II.,  et  al.  Fig  smut.  Calif.  Agr.  Exp.  Sta.,  Bui.  387:9. 
1925. 

-~  Caldis,  P.  D.  Etiology  and  transmission  of  endosepsis  (internal  rot)  of 
the  fruit  of  the  fig.     Hilgardia,  2:318,  322.     1927. 

2  8  LOC.    Cit. 


BUL.  436]  THE   KADOTA  FIG  33 

of  poor  pruning,  improper  attention  to  soil  moisture,  or  to  foliage 
injured  by  red  spider.  Remedying  such  conditions  will  reduce  the 
percentage  of  sunburned  figs  or  eliminate  them  entirely. 

AH  varieties  of  fig  trees  are  suscptible  to  root  injury  from  nema- 
todes, minute  worms  which  attach  themselves  to  the  roots  and  cause 
bead-like  swellings  or  galls.  Injured  roots  rot  off  and  the  plant  must 
produce  new  rootlets  to  replace  those  that  succumb.  This  is  a  drain 
upon  the  vitality  of  the  tree,  the  seriousness  of  which  depends  upon 
the  extent  of  the  nematode  infestation.  No  effective  remedy  is  known 
when  trees  once  become  infested.  Attempts  are  being  made  to  find 
rootstocks  resistant  to  attack.  Especial  care  should  be  taken  to  plant 
nursery  trees  free  from  rootknot. 

Fig  trees  are  very  susceptible  to  the  attacks  of  gophers  and  these 
rodents  should  be  controlled  by  trapping,  drowning,  or  poisoning.29 

The  most  serious  pest  of  the  Kadota  tree  is  the  red  spider  or  two- 
spotted  mite.  This  mite  not  only  injures  the  foliage  but  spots  the 
surface  of  the  fruit  and  prevents  its  proper  development.  Growers 
who  have  been  most  successful  in  protecting  their  crop  from  serious 
injury  have  anticipated  red-spider  attacks  and  sprayed  their  trees 
early  in  the  season.  Efforts  to  control  the  spread  of  the  spider  after 
serious  injury  has  become  apparent  are  generally  disappointing.  The 
following  spray  formula30  has  been  used  successfully : 

Lime-sulphur  concentrate 1  gallon 

Sublimed  or  powdered  sulphur 5  pounds 

Calcium   casemate %  pound 

Water 100  gallons 

This  was  applied  when  the  new  season's  growth  was  from  five  to  eight 
inches  long,  or  about  May  1. 

Sulphur  dusting  of  Kadota  trees  when  the  fruit  is  maturing  is 
unsatisfactory  from  two  standpoints:  the  sulphur  dust  irritates  the 
eyes  and  skin  of  the  pickers,  and  it  causes  black  specks  to  appear  in 
the  syrup  when  the  figs  are  being  cooked. 

Since  considerable  experimental  work  is  being  done  with  new 
spray  formulae  and  materials  for  controlling  red  spider,  growers 
should  consult  their  county  agricultural  agents  for  information  as 
to  measures  which  are  most  successful  in  their  locality. 

29  Dixon,  J.  The  control  of  the  pocket  gopher.  Calif.  Agr.  Exp.  Sta.,  Bui. 
340:337-850.     1922. 

so  DeOng,  E.  R.  The  control  of  red  spiders  in  deciduous  orchards.  Calif. 
A-r.  Exp.  Sta.,  Bui.  347:61.     1922. 


34  UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 

An  insect  pest  which  is  of  minor  importance  at  present  but  is 
gradually  spreading  in  Fresno  and  Tulare  counties  is  the  European 
fig  scale,  Lepidosaphes  fici.  This  scale  attacks  the  branches  and  leaves 
but  is  most  apparent  on  the  ripening  fruit.  Spots  of  green  persist 
around  each  individual  scale  and  form  a  marked  contrast  to  the 
natural  golden-yellow  color  of  normal  Calimyrna  or  Kadota  figs. 
Satisfactory  control  measures  have  not  yet  been  worked  out,  although 
certain  formulae  may  be  used  with  good  results.31 


ECONOMIC   CONSIDEEATIONS 

According  to  the  most  reliable  figures  available,  there  have  been 
planted  in  California  11,131  acres  of  Kadota  figs,  distributed  by  counties 
as  follows :  Glenn,  500  acres ;  Yuba,  40 ;  Sacramento,  150 ;  Solano  and 
Yolo,  100;  San  Joaquin,  2480;  Contra  Costa,  100;  Stanislaus,  1006; 
Merced,  2500 ;  Madera,  100 ;  Fresno,  1500 ;  Tulare,  2100 ;  Kern,  140 ; 
Los  Angeles,  345 ;  Riverside,  70.  A  few  small  plantings  are  found  in 
other  counties.  The  trees  vary  in  age  from  one  to  twelve  years,  the 
great  majority  having  been  planted  since  1920.  Some  of  this  acreage 
is  being  neglected  and  will  probably  never  come  into  bearing,  but  it  is 
difficult  to  estimate  what  percentage  of  the  total  acreage  will  event- 
ually be  productive.  Judging  from  the  mortality  figures  of  other 
fruit  trees  and  from  the  present  condition  of  some  of  the  Kadota 
plantings,  the  total  acreage  can  be  discounted  at  least  one-third  in 
figuring  potential  production.  Reliable  growers  and  canners  depre- 
cate any  plans  to  augment  rapidly  the  present  acreage,  although  a 
steady  increase  seems  to  be  justified. 

The  following  figures  give  the  tonnage  of  figs  canned  and  preserved 
in  California  during  the  past  five  seasons : 

Year  Calimyrna  Kadota 

tons  tons 

1922 1396  341 

1923 1619  547 

1924 610  325 

1925 400  1025 

1926 400  2568 

Costs  of  Production. — It  seems  obvious,  from  an  examination  of 
the  figures  in  table  1,  that  there  is  a  wide  variation  in  both  yield  and 
cost  of  production  of  Kadota  figs.  No  attempt  has  been  made,  there- 
fore, to  average  the  figures  for  orchards  of  the  same  age.    In  general, 

3i  McGregor,  E.  A.  Report  on  the  control  of  the  Mediterranean  fig  scale. 
Blue  Ribbon  Inform.,  Calif.  Peach  and  Fig.  Growers,  Fresno,  2:2.     1926. 


BUL.  436]  THE  KADOTA  FIG  35 

as  with  all  such  figures,  the  cost  of  production  per  unit  is  inversely 
proportional  to  the  total  production  per  acre.  The  orchard  producing 
800  pounds  of  fresh  figs  showed  a  cost  of  9.3c,  while  that  producing 
5500  pounds  showed  a  cost  of  only  4.2c  per  pound.  While  these 
figures  are  not  complete  in  all  details,  it  is  believed  that  they  represent 
fairly  well  the  present  situation  in  the  industry.  Some  growers  are 
beginning  to  make  good  returns  on  their  investment  while  others  have 
been  sadly  disappointed  in  the  cash  value  of  their  fresh  figs.  The 
profits  from  the  few  orchards  which  are  showing  a  balance  on  the 
right  side  of  the  ledger  do  not  indicate  the  bonanza  which  the  Kadota 
fig  has  sometimes  been  pictured.  Like  any  other  fruit  crop  it  will 
undoubtedly  prove  profitable  in  many  cases,  but  it  must  face  the 
vicissitudes  of  climate,  pests,  prices,  and  market  fluctuations. 

Canning  Plants. — The  1926  crop  of  Kadota  figs  was  handled  by 
twelve  companies,  three  in  southern  California,  seven  in  the  San 
Joaquin  Valley,  one  in  the  Sacramento  Valley,  and  one  in  the  bay 
district.  One  of  these  companies  obtained  all  of  its  supply  of  fresh 
figs  and  another  practically  all,  by  express  from  interior- valley  points. 
While  the  carrying  charges  on  fresh  figs  to  the  plant  and  on  empty 
crates  back  to  the  grower  amount  to  a  considerable  item,  this  is  offset 
by  the  nearness  to  supplies  of  glass  and  tin  containers,  sugar,  and 
other  such  items.  By  far  the  largest  percentage  of  the  figs  was  put 
up  in  tins  as  canned  figs  in  a  light  syrup,  testing  from  31  to  45  degrees 
Balling.  One  company  specializes  in  preserved  figs  in  a  50-degree 
syrup  packed  in  glass  containers.  Other  Kadota  products  include 
spiced  and  pickled  figs,  candied  and  glace  fruit,  broken  figs,  and  jam. 

Prices. — Prices  to  growers  in  1925  were  in  general  five  cents  a 
pound,  and  in  1926,  six  cents  a  pound  for  No.  1  figs.  Some  canners 
paid  three  cents  for  No.  2  figs  in  1926;  others  accepted  only  first- 
grade,  unscarred  fruit.  The  1927  price  dropped  back  to  five  cents  a 
pound.  The  Kadota  fig  has  been  canned  in  California  under  forty-five 
different  brands. 

Competition. — Reference  to  the  figures  on  tonnage  of  canning  figs 
shows  that  during  the  past  five  years  there  has  been  a  marked  decrease 
in  the  output  of  canned  Calimyrna  figs  and  a  much  more  decided 
increase  in  the  quantity  of  canned  Kadota  figs.  Part  of  the  decrease 
in  Calimyrna  tonnage  has  been  due  to  the  difficulty  the  canners  have 
experienced  in  getting  figs  unaffected  by  the  fungus  disease  known  as 
internal  rot.  The  control  of  this  rot  may  result  in  an  increase  in  the 
use  of  the  Calimyrna  fig  for  canning  purposes.  Although  the  Cali- 
myrna is  larger  than  the  Kadota  and  full  of  seeds,  it  has  a  flavor  and 
character  which  are  preferred  by  many. 


36 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


pq    M 

E-i 
O 
P 

S 

Ph 

fc 

o 

CO 

Eh 

co 

O 

O 


g  S3  § 

0ao 

-2  "^ 

CO 

o 

CO 

CN 

CO 

CO 

co 

CM 

00 

00 

CO 

- 

•* 

o 

CI 

CO 

CO 

CN 

OO 

Net 
gain  or 

loss 
per  A. 

CO    IO 

o  co 

1^    CN 

CO    »o 

1  4 

oo 
1 

>0    Oi    rf 
N    U5    (O 

CO    N    CD 
CO    CO    CO 

+    +      i 

CB 

O 

1 

O      Tt<      t^ 

CO    CN    CO 

Oi    CN    CO 
■>CH     CO     ^H 

+  +  1 

oo 
CS 

oo 

7 

CO 

■  o 

1 

co 

CJ> 
CN 

1 

T*     CO 
-H    <N 

O    ■<* 

O    CO 

CO 

o 

O 

OS 

«5 

e 

CN 

CS 
00 

CO 

'C 

co 

00 

o 

oo 

CO 

CO 

— 

cr 
oc 

CO 

«c 

oc 

CO 

"«» 

oo 
IC 

oo 

cn 

CN 

Cost 
har- 
vest- 
ing 
per  lb. 

o  ^  rt 

o 
o 

t? 

o 

o 

c 
oc 

CN 

o 

o 

CN 

co 

CO 

ie 

CN 

3 

ce 

CN 

O 

0 

e 

o 

00 
CN 

01  S 
-C   cp 

6  « 

o 
o 

© 

e 
5 

CM 

C2 
O 

"O 

iO 

In- 
terest 

on 
invest- 
ment 

r-   cc 

co    CO 

CO    oc 
"0    CO 

O 

o 

CO 

CO 

O 

o 

oc 

e 

cr 
c 

ce 

c^ 

a 
c 

CO 

CC 

Q 
C 

CO 

o 

o 

CO 

oc 
oc 

CN 

cr 

S 

CC 

c^ 

C3 
cr 

cr 
cr 

e 

CO 

o 
o 

co 
co 

co 
0> 

H 

CO    C 
o    -* 

s 

c 

o 

«5 

oc 
a 

C 
CN 

CO 

IO 

O) 

ce 
cr 

cr 
3 

CO 

cr 
cr 

CO 

CO 

cn  cc 

CN    <M 

CO 

O 

w, 
oc 

CO 

o 
o 

CN 

o 
oc 

CN 

cr 
«: 

CN 

cr 
•c 

a 
cr 

OC 

o 
co 

CO 

i   S3   fl 

£.2  o 
fs»t§'-3 

CN 

o 
a 

CO 

a 

o 

c 
cr 

o 

CN 

c 
.A  o 

CN    c 

co   io 

s 

CN 

c 

CN 

ic1 
CN 

c^ 

oc 

CN 

c 

O) 

OC 

ie 

CN 

cr 
c 

c 

"C 

oo 

CN 

CN 

CO 

m 

O 
UO 

CM 

«ct 

IO 

iO 

o 

Spad- 
ing 
around 
trees 

— i    C 

'O 
(M 

00 
CN 

i  w5 

:    co 

o 

5{l 

co  c 

CO    oc 

EC 

cr 

c 
IC 

e 
o- 

CN 

CC 

O 
O 

ce 

oc 

11- 

c^ 

5 

CN 

CO 

.s*M 

-*<  o 

o  o 

o 

CO 

c 
>>- 

o 
•o 

c 

CN 

o 
>o 

CO 

go 

o  co 

CN    O 

e 
c 

CN 

a 

s 

o 

Ol 
CO 

tr 

I  - 

s 

o 

Cul- 
tural 
costs 

per 

A. 

S  cc 

O   t» 

uo   o- 

ir 

c- 

= 

IC 

cr 
3 

oc 

CC 

ex 

c 

c 

CC 

cr 

CN 

oc 

o 

CN 

•ct 

K3 

CC 

I  - 

^ 

CC 

- 

CN 
Ifl 

>r 
CN 

CC 

00 
CN 

00 

o> 

5  SS 

o   oc 

CN    OC 

t-i    cc 
CO    oc 
cn    ^ 
a* 

** 

IC 

e 

cr 

et 

— 

CN 

a 
o 

CC 
CN 

C 
o 

CC 

-f 

C 

or 

1  - 

CO 

CO 

cr 
C 

cr 

a 

cc 

oc 

co- 
co 

c*- 

CO 

o 

ui 
oo 

Yield 
per  A . 
in  lbs. 
fresh 
figs. 

cni   cr 

0>     CN 

CO    -*t 

■rtH     C<- 

CN 

CT 

e 
e 

T 

><- 

C 

a 

c 

c 
a 

CO 
0^ 
CN 

C( 

c 
u 

z 

1- 

a 

c 

UO 

c 
o 
co 
a 
a 
CO 

CO     Tt 

ce 

oc 

cc 

CC 

CO 

Tj 

CC 

ce 

Tt 

CO 

H  ^  aj 

o  c 
o  c 

•- 

e 

«: 

c 
c 

c 

o 
o 

-V 

CN 

CC 

c 

cr 
c 

<= 
<= 

CN 

c 
1- 

o 
id 

T3 

c3 

o 
h 

o 

c 

CN 

1 

er 
C 
V 

c 
V 

«c 
C 

ce 
c 

c 

00 

6 

a 
C 
V 

cr 

C 
V 

c 

c 

c 
!2 

BUL.  4.'56  I  THE   KADOTA    PIG  'tf 

The  only  other  variety  of  fig  used  commercially  in  California  for 

preserving  is  the  Brunswick,  and  the  available  tonnage  is  at  present 
small.  The  trees  do  not  grow  so  vigorously  nor  produce  so  heavily 
as  the  Kadota,  but  the  quality  of  the  preserved  fruit  is  excellent. 
One  canner  who  has  used  a  considerable  tonnage  regards  the  quality 
of  the  Brunswick  equal  to  that  of  the  Kadota. 

No  European  or  other  foreign  fig  districts  arc  at  present  canning 
or  preserving  figs  in  any  quantities  for  export.  It  is  a  mistake,  how- 
ever, to  state  that  California  need  fear  no  competition  in  this  respect. 
All  of  the  Gulf  Coast  states,  and  especially  Texas,  have  considerable 
acreages  in  figs.  According  to  reliable  statistics  for  1925  there  were 
growing  in  Texas  13,510  acres  of  fig  trees,  a  fourth  of  them  being 
three  years  old  or  over.  The  tonnage  preserved  was  approximately 
2500,  more  than  twice  the  output  of  California  during  the  same 
season.  The  estimated  output  of  Texas  figs  in  1926  was  275,000  cases, 
from  eighteen  plants.  Although  these  were  mostly  preserved  in  a 
heavy  syrup,  an  increasingly  large  quantity  is  being  processed  in  a 
light  syrup  similar  to  that  used  in  the  California  product. 

The  variety  grown  in  Texas  is  called  Magnolia,  but  it  appears 
to  be  identical  to  the  Brunswick  already  mentioned.  The  figs  are 
peeled  with  lye  before  preserving,  hence  the  misleading  term  "  skin- 
less fig."  The  Magnolia  is,  like  the  Kadota,  practically  seedless. 
The  quality  of  the  Texas  product  is  well  recognized  by  the  trade  and 
on  account  of  low  costs  of  production  and  canning,  it  has  been  able 
to  undersell  California  canned  figs.  This  competition  must,  there- 
fore, be  recognized  by  fig  growers,  investors,  and  canners  in  California. 

Canned  figs,  both  of  Texas  and  California,  must  also  meet  the 
competition  of  other  canned  fruits  such  as  peaches,  apricots,  and 
pears. 

ANALYSES 

Analyses  of  Kadota  figs  are  not  numerous.  The  figures  in  table  2 
are  from  Pellicano3-  and  compare  Smyrna  figs  with  the  Kadota,  the 
latter  from  various  parts  of  Italy.  According  to  these  figures,  Kadota 
figs  are  more  commonly  caprified  in  Italy  than  is  generally  recognized. 

Guglielmi33  made  analyses  of  caprified  and  uncaprified  Kadota 
figs  witli  the  results  shown  in  table  3. 


82 Pellicano,  A.     II  fieo  nel  circondario  di  Gerace.     Hoi.  Arbor.  Ital.,  3:140, 
141.     1907. 

33  Guglielmi,  G.     Coltivazione   industrials  del  fieo  nel  Leceese.     Bol.  Arbor. 
Ital.,  4:23.     1908. 


38 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


TABLE  2 
Analyses  of  Smyena  and  Kadota  Figs 


Source 


Average 
weight 
one  fig 
grams 


Smyrna  fig 17. 

Dottato  figs  from  Amantea 14.48 

Dottato  figs  from  Agropoli 12.75 

Dottato  figs  from  Gerace 

Dottato  figs  from  Gioiosa 


13.86 
16.73 


Average 

volume 

one  fig 

c.c. 


14 

12 

10.75 

11.6 

15.2 


Water 
per  cent 


20.10 

20.25 

21.60 

20.7 

20.9 


Reducing 
sugars 
per  cent 


46.4 
57.9 
39.4 
52.2 
45.1 


Comparison  Between  Percentage  of  Skin,  Pulp,  Fertile  and  Sterile  Seeds 


Smyrna 

Amantea 

Agropoli 

Gerace 

Gioiosa 

Skin 

48.78 
51.22 
'  97.0 
3.0 

51.2 

48.8 
73.5 
26.5 

58.6 
41.4 
70.0 
30.0 

53.3 
46.7 
72.2 

27.8 

51.8 

Pulp 

48.2 

Fertile  seeds 

71.7 

Sterile  seeds 

28.3 

TABLE  3 
Analyses  of  Kadota  Figs 

Caprified  Uncaprified 

per  cent  per  cent 

Water 21.10  20.35 

Fats 5.04  4.20 

Cellulose 7.35  6.00 

Protein 4.81  5.25 

Reducing  sugar 54.35  58.40 

Non-nitrogenous 5.01  3.43 

Ash 2.34  2.37 

He  concluded  that  caprification  of  the  Kadota  was  unprofitable 
as  it  reduces  the  nutritive  properties  of  the  fruit  and  forms  numerous 
seeds  which  are  annoying  to  the  consumer.  According  to  Guglielmi 
a  careful  experiment  showed  that  the  Kadota  lost  66%  per  cent  of 
its  weight  in  drying. 

Siniscalchi34  gives  an  analysis  (table  4)  by  Rossi  of  dried  Kadota 
figs  of  the  Cilento  district : 

He  states  that  if  the  quantity  of  sugar  contained  in  the  Smyrna 
fig  is  considered  as  1.00,  that  in  the  Kadota  fig  would  be  1.058;  con- 
sidering the  albuminoids  of  the  Smyrna  fig  as  1.00,  those  of  the 


34  Siniscalchi,  A. 
7:51.     1912. 


La  coltivazione   del  fico   nel   Cilento.     Bol.  Arbor.  Ital., 


Bul.  436] 


THE  KADOTA  FIG 


39 


TABLE  4 
Analysis  of  Kadota  Figs  by  Eossi 

Average  weight  of  each  fig  10  grams. 

per  cent 

Water 18.04 

Albuminoids 4.97 

Sugar 62.90 

Pectose 6.39 

Fats 95 

Fiber 4.05 

Ash 2.70 

Kadota  would  be  0.863.  The  Kadota  figs  of  Cilento  are  lighter  in 
weight,  richer  in  sugar,  and  poorer  in  albuminoid  substances. 

The  Kadota  figs  of  Agropoli  are  not  so  soft  or  sugary  as  those 
of  Cosenza,  which  accounts  for  the  fact  that  they  are  quoted  at  lower 
prices  on  foreign  markets. 

Analyses  of  Kadota  figs  by  W.  V.  Cruess  and  F.  W.  Albro35  show 
the  following: 

Caprified  Uncaprified 

Partly  dried  figs 35.2  per  cent  sugar  28.4  per  cent  sugar 

Dried  figs 75.36  per  cent  sugar  68. 16  per  cent  sugar 

Counts  of  the  seeds  in  four  caprified  Kadota  figs,  made  in  1917, 
showed  the  numbers  to  be  544,  412,  402,  and  667  fertile  seeds.  Counts 
of  fertile  seeds  in  two  lots  of  Calimyrna  figs  showed  the  average 
number  to  vary  from  529  to  1226  seeds  per  fig. 

Analyses  of  fresh  figs  made  by  the  Twining  Laboratories,  Fresno, 
are  shown  in  table  5. 

TABLE  5 
Analyses  of  Fresh  Kadota  Figs 


White  Endich 

Kadota  from 
Strathmore 

Kadota  from  Reedley 

Caprified 
■per  cent 

Uncaprified 
per  cent 

Caprified 
per  cent 

Caprified 
per  cent 

Uncaprified 
per  cent 

Moisture 

70.80 
0.662 

19.56 
1.33 
0.45 
0.24 
2.29 

75.80 
0.576 

19.48 
0.49 
0.28 
0.24 
1.28 

74.80 
0.627 

19.10 
0.89 
1.64 
0.24 

65.32 
0.76 

26.0 
2.23 
1.12 
0.48 
1.807 

72.00 

Ash 

0  58 

Reducing  sugar 

22.44 

Cane 

1.48 

Starch 

1  08 

Acidity 

0  36 

Crude  fiber 

0  836 

35  Condit,  I.  J.     Caprifigs  and  caprification.     Calif.  Agri.  Exp  Sta.,  Bul.  319: 
372,  373.     1922. 


40  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 

In  1921  the  Twining  Laboratories,  Fresno,  made  analyses  of  nine- 
teen samples  of  dried  Calimyrna  figs  from  different  orchards  of 
California.  These  showed  the  average  percentage  of  total  reducing 
sugar  to  be  62.84  and  of  invert  sugar  of  67.52.  One  analysis  of  capri- 
fied  Kadota  fig  made  by  the  same  laboratory  showed  a  percentage 
of  reducing  sugar  of  60.68.  The  discrepancies  in  comparative  figures 
of  the  sugar  content  of  Calimyrna  and  Kadota  figs  are  probably  due 
to  the  different  climatic  conditions  under  which  the  figs  were  grown. 

During  the  season  of  1926  the  writer  collected  twenty-seven  differ- 
ent samples  of  firm-ripe  Kadota  figs  from  representative  orchards 
between  Orland  and  Exeter.  Figs  from  each  sample  were  put  through 
a  meat  grinder  and  stored  in  glass  in  a  freezing  room  for  about  six 
wTeeks.  The  sugar  content  was  then  tested  by  means  of  a  Brix  spindle 
and  found  to  vary  from  19  to  24  per  cent.  The  percentage  of  acid 
varied  from  0.10  to  0.44  per  cent. 


GENEEAL  OUTLOOK 

It  should  be  emphasized  that  the  Kadota  fig  industry  is  of  very 
recent  origin  in  California.  The  immense  increase  in  acreage  in  the 
past  six  or  eight  years  has  been  largely  due  to  the  activities  of  land 
promoters  who,  in  many  cases,  have  profited  financially  at  the  expense 
of  investors.  Bare  land  to  be  planted  to  Kadota  figs  and  to  be  given 
three  years'  care  has  been  and  is  still  being  sold  at  figures  far  above 
those  which  would  purchase  bearing  orchards  in  proven  fig  districts. 
Some  developments  are  on  lands  and  in  districts  where  the  successful 
production  of  the  Kadota  fig  is  extremely  doubtful.  Experience 
gained  so  far  indicates  that  the  territory  which  Avill  produce  high- 
quality  Kadota  figs  for  canning  is  more  limited  than  authorities 
believed  even  five  years  ago.  High  summer  heat,  a  relatively  low 
humidity,  a  minimum  of  strong  winds,  a  satisfactory  soil,  and  a  suf- 
ficient supply  of  good  irrigation  water  are  some  of  the  prime  requisites 
for  success. 

During  the  short  period  in  which  the  canning-fig  industry  has 
been  established,  better  methods  of  handling  the  fruit  have  been 
learned  and  the  processing  has  been  improved.  As  the  recent  pro- 
cessor's conference  showed,30  there  are  many  problems  connected  with 
the  canning  and  marketing  of  the  product  which  require  serious  con- 
sideration. The  canned  figs  now  on  the  market  vary  considerably 
in  quality.    Some  leave  much  to  be  desired  from  this  standpoint.    The 

■■<■  Proc.  Tenth  Ann.  Fig  Inst.,  Fresno.,  pp.  9-32.     1926. 


BUL.  436]  TIIE   KADOTA  FIG  41 

fact  that  at  least  forty-five  brands  of  canned  and  preserved  Kadota 
figs  have  already  appeared  is  surprising  for  an  industry  hardly  ten 
years  of  age.  Success  in  establishing  other  food  products  in  Ameri- 
can homes,  however,  has  not  been  attained  by  multiplying  brands. 
National  advertising  of  a  few  standard  brands  representing  high- 
quality  products  seems  to  be  the  path  leading  toward  success. 
Growers  and  packers  should  cooperate  to  discourage  extensive  and 
injudicious  Kadota  plantings,  to  standardize  products  as  far  as 
practicable,  and  to  develop  markets  which  will  absorb  the  increasing 
output. 

SUMMARY 

The  Dottato  fig  is  the  principal  drying  variety  of  Italy.  It  has 
been  introduced  into  California  and  acquired  various  names  such 
as  White  Endich,  White  Pacific,  and  Kadota.  The  last  name  is  so 
firmly  entrenched  that  it  is  probably  impracticable  to  reestablish  the 
true  name  Dottato  for  the  variety  in  California. 

The  Kadota  tree  normally  produces  two  crops  of  figs.  The  first 
crop,  which  ripens  in  June  in  the  San  Joaquin  Valley,  is  good  for 
fresh-fruit  markets  but  is  very  small  in  quantity  under  the  prevail- 
ing system  of  heavy  tree  pruning.  The  second  or  main  crop  ripens 
during  the  months  of  August,  September,  and  October  and  the  golden- 
yellow  figs  are  well  adapted  to  commercial  canning.  The  dried  Kadota 
fig  is  not  highly  regarded  in  California  on  account  of  the  leathery 
texture  of  the  product. 

Orchard  operations,  except  for  pruning,  conform  rather  closely 
to  those  of  other  deciduous  orchards.  While  heavy  pruning,  or  annual 
stubbing  back  of  the  season's  growth,  is  producing  good  results, 
modified  systems  are  being  tried  out  in  the  hope  that  young  trees 
will  bear  earlier  in  life,  first-crop  shipping  figs  be  more  abundant, 
and  second-crop  figs  ripen  earlier  in  the  season. 

There  are  no  Kadota  orchards  in  California  in  full  bearing.  The 
oldest,  at  twelve  years  of  age,  has  produced  five  tons  of  fresh  figs 
per  acre,  which  is  only  a  quarter  of  the  tonnage  produced  by  good 
peach  orchards  at  the  same  age.  Very  few  Kadota  orchards  bear 
commercial  crops  the  third  season,  and  hundreds  of  acres  have  failed 
even  at  five  and  six  years  of  age  to  produce  crops  of  much  financial 
value. 

During  the  1926  season  there  were  canned  in  California  2568  tons 
of  fresh  Kadota.  figs,  for  which  growers  generally  received  six  cents 
a  pound.     These  were  handled  by  twelve  companies  under  at  least 


42  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

forty-five  different  brands.  Kadota  figs  come  into  competition  with 
preserved  and  canned  Magnolia  figs  of  Texas,  where  the  acreage  of 
canning  figs  is  larger  and  the  output  greater  than  in  California. 
Reliable  growers  and  packers  deprecate  any  extensive  or  rapid  in- 
crease in  the  Kadota  acreage,  although  a  steady  increase  seems  to  be 
justified. 

LIST   OF  PUBLICATIONS    FOR  FURTHER   READING 

Beckwith,  L.  C. 

1922.     The   growth   of   the   Kadota   fig   industry.      Fresno    Republican,    Farm 
News  Section,  Feb.  19. 
Beckwith,  N.  E. 

1921.  Description  of  the  Kadota  fig  and  its  cultural  requirements.     Fig  Olive 

Jour.,  5  (10)  :2. 

1922.  Over-enthusiasm  bad  for  figs.     Fresno  Republican,  Oct.  19. 

1925.  Status  of  Kadota  fig  industry.     Fresno  Republican,  Jan.  15. 
Beckwith,  R.  E. 

1920.     The  Kadota  fig  as  a  preserve.     Fig  Olive  Jour.,  4  (8):14. 
Briganti,  G. 

1917.     Esportazione    dall'    Italia    di    fichi    secchi.      Comitato    Nav.    Tariff e 
Doganali  T'ratt.  Com.  Roma.     Fasc.  4,  Monogr.  4:139-146. 
Clark,  W.  S. 

1917.     The  Kadota  fig  in  the   San  Joaquin  Valley.     Proc.   First   Fig.   Inst., 
Fresno,  pp.  76-80. 

1920.  The  Kadota  fig — a  treatise  on  its  origin,  planting  and  care.     44  pp. 

Published  by  Fig  Olive  Jour.,  Los  Angeles. 

1921.  The  Clarkadota  fig  plantation  at  Stockton.     Fig  Olive  Jour.,  6  (6):6. 
Condit,  I.  J. 

1917.  The  Kadota  fig.     Proc.  First  Fig  Inst.,  Fresno,  pp.  84-87. 

1918.  History  of  the  fig  in  California.     Fig  Olive  Jour.,  3  (12)  :  12. 

1919.  History  of  the  Kadota  fig.     Fresno  Republican,  Farm  News  Section, 

Oct.  12. 

1920.  The  Kadota  fig.     Associated  Grower,  1(8):  18. 

1921.  Calimyrna  vs.  Kadota.     Calif.  Cultivator,  57:26. 

1922.  The  Kadota  fig.  Calif.  Cultivator,  59:123. 

1922.     Picturing  our  climate.     Associated  Grower,  4  (5):  7. 

1922.     Pruning  the  Kadota.     Proc.  Sixth  Ann.  Fig.  Inst.,  Fresno,  pp.  18-20. 

1924.     The  fig  industry  of  Italy.     Associated  Grower,  6  (12):14,  15,  19. 
Eisen,  G. 

1901.     The   Dottato-Endrich-Pacific   White.     U.   S.   Dept.   Agr.,   Div.   Pomol., 
Bui.  9:229,  233,  259. 
Gilfillan,  W.  E.,  and  H.  R.  Keller. 

1926.  Kadota  fig  costs.     Calif.  Cultivator,  66:218. 
Johnston,  J.  C. 

1926.     How  about  the  Kadota  fig.     Los  Angeles  Co.  Farm  Bur.  Mo.,  9  (11)  :4. 
Newman,  R. 

1926.     Beckwith  talks  Kadotas.     Pac.  Rural  Press,  111:138. 


II.    KADOTA   FIG   PRODUCTS 

W.  V.  CRUESS37 


The  Canning  of  Figs. — It  has  been  demonstrated  by  commercial 
canners  that  there  is  a  much  greater  potential  demand  for  figs  canned 
in  a  syrup  of  medium  sugar  concentration  than  for  fig  preserves. 
While  fig  preserves  are  popular  and  appeal  to  most  consumers,  they 
are  extremely  sweet  and  on  this  account  only  a  small  quantity  can 
be  eaten  at  a  time.  Furthermore,  the  retail  price  is  necessarily 
relatively  high.  Figs  canned  in  light  to  medium  syrup  are,  on  the 
other  hand,  not  excessively  sweet  and  not  unduly  costly.  They  may 
be  used  as  a  breakfast  fruit  or  dessert. 

The  process  of  canning  varies  greatly  in  the  different  canneries. 
The  following  method  is  based  on  present  practice  in  several  of  the 
more  successful  canneries. 

Kadota  figs  are  gathered  firm-ripe  in  shallow  lugs  or  in  grape 
baskets  and  delivered  without  delay  to  the  cannery.  Firm-ripe  fruit 
rather  than  soft-ripe  or  slightly  underripe  fruit  is  preferred. 

The  figs  are  graded  usually  over  a  grader  into  the  size  grades 
given  on  page  30.  They  are  then  blanched  (parboiled)  a  short  time, 
usually  about  three  minutes  in  water  at  140-180°  F.  to  cleanse  them 
and  to  remove  some  of  the  waxy  coating  and  ' '  raw  flavor. ' ' 

They  are  then  cooked  a  short  time,  about  30  minutes,  in  a  light 
syrup  to  make  the  tissues  permeable  to  the  syrup  used  in  canning 
and  to  make  the  figs  translucent  after  canning.  This  cooking  may 
be  done  in  jelly  kettles  or  in  pans  heated  electrically  or  by  steam. 
After  standing  several  hours  or  overnight  in  the  syrup,  the  figs  are 
canned,  a  50°-55°  Balling  syrup  is  added,  the  cans  are  exhausted 
(preheated  in  steam  5-8  minutes,  sealed,  and  sterilized  in  boiling 
water  1-2  hours). 

In  one  cannery  the  figs  are  canned  direct  from  the  hot  syrup  used 
in  the  preliminary  boiling  process.  In  others  the  figs  are  blanched 
in  water  in  the  cans  by  heating  the  cans  of  figs  in  boiling  water.  The 
water  is  drained  off,  syrup  is  added,  the  cans  are  exhausted,  sealed, 
and  then  sterilized  as  noted  above. 


37  Associate   Professor   of  Fruit   Products   and   Chemist   in   the   Experiment 
Station. 


44  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

Preliminary  cooking  in  syrup  or  water  greatly  improves  the 
appearance  of  the  finished  product.  Experiments  at  the  University 
demonstrate  that  such  cooking  can  be  done  in  the  cans  by  heating  the 
figs,  water  or  syrup,  and  cans  in  live  steam,  draining  after  cooking, 
adding  fresh  syrup,  and  proceeding  with  exhausting  and  sterilizing  as 
previously  described. 

One  cannery  blanches  the  figs  in  hot  water,  cans  them  at  once, 
adds  a  heavy  syrup  of  about  70°  Balling,  exhausts,  seals,  and  sterilizes 
as  already  described. 

In  all  cases  the  attempt  is  made  to  obtain  a  canned  product  of 
tender  texture,  plump  and  unbroken,  translucent  in  appearance,  and 
a  syrup  in  the  can  that  will  contain  35-40  per  cent  sugar,  that  is, 
test  35-40  degrees  Balling  by  hydrometer,  after  sterilization  and 
storage. 

Preserving. — Several  methods  of  making  Kadota  preserves  are  in 
use.  At  the  University  the  following  method  has  proved  satisfactory. 
Firm-ripe  figs  are  sorted  and  graded  for  size.  They  are  then  blanched 
in  hot  water  3-5  minutes  at  180°-200°  F.  One  pint  of  water  and 
one  pound  of  sugar  to  each  pound  of  figs  are  added  and  the  mixture 
is  boiled  slowly  to  about  220°  F.,  set  aside  overnight,  sorted,  packed 
in  glass  jars  or  cans  and  the  syrup  used  in  cooking  them  is  added  to 
fill  the  containers.  The  containers  are  heated  to  about  160°  F.,  sealed 
and  pasteurized  at  180°  F.  for  30  minutes. 

In  one  factory  the  blanched  figs  are  cooked  to  220°-221°  F.  in 
syrup  of  60°  Balling  added  at  short  intervals  during  boiling.  One 
preserver  lye-peels  the  figs;  some  others  puncture  them  through  and 
through  with  large  needles.  This  can  be  done  mechanically  and  is 
said  to  promote  penetration  of  the  syrup. 

Boiling  should  be  very  slow  and  should  be  done  in  small  lots  in 
order  that  as  few  of  the  figs  as  possible  may  be  broken. 

Jam  is  made  from  the  broken  figs  and  overripe  stock.  This  can 
be  done  by  coarsely  grinding  the  figs,  adding  an  equal  weight  of  sugar 
and  cooking  to  221°  F.    The  demand  for  the  jam  is  limited. 

Overripe  fruit  is  precooked  in  kettles  without  sugar  in  one  factory, 
packed  "solid  pack"  in  number  10  cans,  and  sterilized,  for  use  in  the 
baking  and  ice-cream  industries. 

Candying  and  Glaceing. — The  Kadota  fig  is  one  of  the  most  popular 
of  fruits  for  candying  and  glaceing.  In  some  factories  the  figs  are 
first  stored  in  dilute  sulfurous-acid  solution  in  barrels  for  several 
weeks  before  being  candied.     In  others  the  fresh  fruit  is  used. 


Bul.  436]  KADOTA  FIG  PRODUCTS  45 

In  experiments  at  the  University  the  fresh  fruit  has  given  the 
better  flavor.     The  following  process  has  proved  satisfactory. 

Firm,  ripe  figs  are  punctured  through  and  through  in  several  places 
with  a  silver  fork.    They  are  then  boiled  in  water  until  tender. 

A  syrup  made  of  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  cane  sugar  and  glucose 
syrup  added  to  water  to  give  40°  Balling  (i.e.,  40  per  cent  sugar)  is 
placed  on  the  figs.  The  mixture  is  boiled  2-3  minutes  and  set  aside 
24  hours.  The  syrup  is  drained  off  and  enough  of  the  50 :50  glucose- 
cane  sugar  mixture  added  to  increase  the  concentration  to  50°  Balling. 
The  fruit  and  syrup  are  boiled  2-3  minutes  and  set  aside  24  hours. 
On  succeeding  days  the  concentration  is  increased  as  previously  de- 
scribed to  60°,  then  to  70°,  and  finally  to  72°-74°  Balling.  The  fruit 
is  allowed  to  stand  in  this  last  syrup  at  least  two  weeks  to  become 
plump.  It  is  then  drained,  wiped  with  a  wet  cloth  or  dipped  in  hot 
water  to  remove  excess  syrup,  and  dried  at  135°-140°  F.  in  a  de- 
hydrater  or  at  room  temperature  on  screen  trays  until  no  longer 
sticky. 

It  is  then  packed  in  candy  boxes.  It  should  be  consumed  within 
three  months,  as  in  time  it  becomes  over-dry  and  tough  or  filled  with 
sugar  crystals. 

If  packed  in  vacuum-sealed  jars,  the  candied  figs  keep  indefinitely. 

A  recipe  for  the  home  preparation  of  candied  fruits,  including 
figs,  may  be  had  on  application  to  the  College  of  Agriculture,  Berkeley. 

One  company  has  developed  a  good  market  for  the  figs  canned  in 
the  final  syrup  used  in  candying,  the  product  being  used  by  candy 
makers,  who  need  only  drain  and  dry  the  figs  in  order  to  prepare 
candied  fig's. 


PUBLICATIONS  AVAILABLE  FOR  FREE  DISTRIBUTION 


BULLETINS 


No. 

275.  The     Cultivation     of     Belladonna     in 

California. 

276.  The  Pomegranate. 

277.  Sudan    Grass. 

278.  Grain    Sorghums. 

279.  Irrigation   of  Rice  in    California. 
283.  The  Olive  Insects  of  California. 
294.   Bean   Culture  in   California. 

304.  A  Study  of  the  Effects  of  Freezes  on 

Citrus    in    California. 
310.   Plum    Pollination. 

312.  Mariout  Barley. 

313.  Pruning      Young      Deciduous      Fruit 

Trees. 
319.  Caprifigs    and    Caprification. 

324.  Storage  of   Perishable  Fruit  at  Freez- 

ing Temperatures. 

325.  Rice     Irrigation     Measurements     and 

Experiments    in    Sacramento   Valley, 

1914-1919. 
328.   Prune   Growing   in    California. 
331.   Phylloxera-Resistant    Stocks. 
335.   Cocoanut   Meal    as    a    Feed    for   Dairy 

Cows   and    Other  Livestock. 
339.  The    Relative    Cost    of    Making    Logs 

from   Small   and  Large  Timber. 
840.   Control     of     the     Pocket     Gopher     in 

California. 

343.  Cheese    Pests    and    Their    Control. 

344.  Cold    Storage   as    an   Aid   to   the   Mar- 

keting of  Plums. 

346.  Almond    Pollination. 

347.  The  Control  of  Red  Spiders  in  Decid- 

uous Orchards. 

348.  Pruning  Young  Olive  Trees. 

349.  A     Study    of    Sidedraft    and    Tractor 

Hitches. 

350.  Agriculture      in      Cut-over      Redwood 

Lands. 

352.  Further  Experiments  in  Plum  Pollina- 

tion. 

353.  Bovine   Infectious   Abortion. 

354.  Results  of  Rice  Experiments  in   1922. 

357.  A     Self-mixing    Dusting    Machine    for 

Applying      Dry      Insecticides      and 
Fungicides. 

358.  Black     Measles,     Water    Berries,     and 

Related  Vine  Troubles. 

361.  Preliminary    Yield   Tables    for    Second 

Growth   Redwood. 

362.  Dust  and  the  Tractor  Engine. 

363.  The  Pruning  of  Citrus  Trees  in  Cali- 

fornia. 

364.  Fungicidal    Dusts   for   the    Control   of 

Bunt. 

365.  Avocado  Culture  in  California. 

366.  Turkish  Tobacco  Culture,   Curing  and 

Marketing. 

367.  Methods  of  Harvesting  and  Irrigation 

in   Relation  of  Mouldy  Walnuts. 

368.  Bacterial  Decomposition  of  Olives  dur- 

ing Pickling. 

369.  Comparison     of     Woods     for     Butter 

Boxes. 

370.  Browning  of  Yellow  Newtown  Apples. 

371.  The   Relative   Cost   of   Yarding   Small 

and   Large  Timber. 

372.  The  Cost  of  Producing  Market  Milk  and 

Butterfat  on  246  California  Dairies. 

373.  Pear   Pollination. 

374.  A  Survey  of  Orchard  Practices  in  the 

Citrus    Industry  of    Southern    Cali- 
fornia. 

375.  Results   of   Rice   Experiments   at  Cor- 

tena,    1923. 

376.  Sun-Drying  and  Dehydration  of  Wal- 

nuts. 

377.  The  Cold    Storage  of  Pears. 

379.  Walnut   Culture   in   California. 

380.  Growth    of    Eucalyptus    in    California 

Plantations. 

381.  Growing     and     Handling     Asparagus 

Crowns. 


No. 

382. 

383. 

385. 
386. 

387. 
388. 

389. 
390. 

391. 

392. 
893. 
394. 

395. 
396. 

397. 

398. 
399. 


400. 
401. 

402. 
403. 
404. 
405. 
406. 
407. 


408. 
409. 


410. 
411. 
412. 

413. 
414. 

415. 

416. 

417. 
418. 

419. 

420. 

421. 
422. 

423. 

424. 

425. 
426. 

427. 

428. 


Pumping  for  Drainage  in  the  San 
Joaquin    Valley,    California. 

Monilia  Blossom  Blight  (Brown  Rot) 
of  Apricot. 

Pollination    of    the    Sweet    Cherry. 

Pruning  Bearing  Deciduous  Fruit 
Trees. 

Fig  Smut. 

The  Principles  and  Practice  of  Sun- 
drying  Fruit. 

Berseem  or   Egyptian    Clover. 

Harvesting  and  Packing  Grapes  in 
California. 

Machines  for  Coating  Seed  Wheat  with 
Copper    Carbonate   Dust. 

Fruit    Juice    Concentrates. 

Crop  Sequences  at  Davis. 

Cereal  Hay  Production  in  California. 
Feeding  Trials  with  Cereal  Hay. 

Bark   Diseases   of   Citrus  Trees. 

The  Mat  Bean  (Phaseolus  aconitifo- 
lius). 

Manufacture  of  Roquefort  Type  Cheese 
from   Goat's   Milk. 

Orchard  Heating  in  California. 

The  Blackberry  Mite,  the  Cause  of 
Redberry  Disease  of  the  Himalaya 
Blackberry,    and   its   Control. 

The  Utilization  of  Surplus  Plums. 

Cost  of  Work  Horses  on  California 
Farms. 

The  Codling  Moth  in  Walnuts. 

Farm-Accounting  Associations. 

The  Dehydration  of  Prunes. 

Citrus  Culture  in  Central  California. 

Stationary  Spray  Plants  in  California. 

Yield,  Stand  and  Volume  Tables  for 
White  Fir  in  the  California  Pine 
Region. 

Alternaria  Rot  of  Lemons. 

The  Digestibility  of  Certain  Fruit  By- 
products as  Determined  for  Rumi- 
nants. 

Factors  Affecting  the  Quality  of  Fresh 
Asparagus  after  it  is  Harvested. 

Paradichlorobenzene  as  a  Soil  Fumi- 
gant. 

A  Study  of  the  Relative  Values  of  Cer- 
tain Root  Crops  and  Salmon  Oil  as 
Sources  of  Vitamin  A  for  Poultry. 

The  California  Poultry  Industry;  a 
Statistical   Study. 

Planting  and  Thinning  Distances  for 
Deciduous  Fruit  Trees. 

The  Tractor  on  California  Farms. 

Culture  of  the  Oriental  Persimmon 
in    California. 

Poultry  Feeding:  Principles  and 
Practice. 

A  Study  of  Various  Rations  for 
Finishing  Range  Calves  as  Baby 
Beeves. 

Economic  Aspects  of  the  Cantaloupe 
Industry. 

Rice  and  Rice  By-products  as  Feeds 
for   Fattening   Swine. 

Beef   Cattle   Feeding   Trials,    1921-24. 

Cost  of  Producing  Almonds  in  Cali- 
fornia ;   a  Progress  Report. 

Apricots  (Series  on  California  Crops 
and  Prices). 

The  Relation  of  Rate  of  Maturity  to 
Egg  Production. 

Apple   Growing  in    California. 

Apple  Pollination  Studies  in  Cali- 
fornia. 

The  Value  of  Orange  Pulp  for  Milk 
Production. 

The  Relation  of  Maturity  of  Cali- 
fornia Plums  to  Shipping  and 
Dessert    Quality. 


No. 

87. 
117. 

127. 
129. 
136. 

144. 

157. 
160. 
164. 
166. 
170. 

173. 

178. 
179. 

190. 
199. 
202. 

203. 
209. 
210. 
212. 
215. 
217. 

220. 
228. 
230. 

231. 
232. 

234. 

235. 


237. 

238. 
239. 

240. 

241. 

243. 

244. 
245. 
247. 
248. 

249. 
250. 

252. 
253. 
254. 


CIRCULARS 
No. 


Alfalfa. 

The    Selection    and    Cost    of    a    Small 

Pumping  Plant. 
House    Fumigation. 
The  Control  of  Citrus  Insects. 
Melilotus    indica    as    a    Green-Manure 

Crop  for  California. 
Oidium    or    Powdery    Mildew    of    the 

Vine. 
Control  of  the  Pear  Scab. 
Lettuce  Growing  in  California. 
Small  Fruit  Culture  in  California. 
The   County  Farm  Bureau. 
Fertilizing     California     Soils     for    the 

1918   Crop. 
The    Construction    of    the   Wood-Hoop 

Silo. 
The   Packing  of  Apples  in   California. 
Factors    of    Importance    in    Producing 

Milk  of  Low  Bacterial  Count. 
Agriculture  Clubs  in  California. 
Onion    Growing   in    California. 
County    Organizations   for   Rural   Fire 

Control. 
Peat   as   a   Manure   Substitute. 
The  Function  of  the  Farm  Bureau. 
Suggestions  to  the  Settler  in  California. 
Salvaging    Rain-Damaged    Prunes. 
Feeding  Dairy  Cows  in  California. 
Methods   for  Marketing  Vegetables   in 

California. 
Unfermented   Fruit  Juices. 
Vineyard  Irrigation  in  Arid  Climates. 
Testing  Milk,    Cream,    and   Skim   Milk 

for  Butterfat. 
The    Home    Vineyard. 
Harvesting    and    Handling    California 

Cherries    for    Eastern    Shipment. 
Winter  Injury  to  Young  Walnut  Trees 

during  1921-22. 
Soil     Analysis     and     Soil     and     Plant 

Inter-relations. 
The    Common     Hawks    and    Owls    of 

California    from    the    Standpoint    of 

the  Rancher. 
Directions  for  the  Tanning  and  Dress- 
ing of  Furs. 
The  Apricot  in   California. 
Harvesting     and     Handling     Apricots 

and  Plums  for  Eastern  Shipment. 
Harvesting    and    Handling    Pears    for 

Eastern   Shipment. 
Harvesting  and  Handling  Peaches  for 

Eastern   Shipment. 
Marmalade  Juice  and  Jelly  Juice  from 

Citrus  Fruits. 
Central  Wire  Bracing  for  Fruit  Trees. 
Vine   Pruning  Systems. 
Colonization    and   Rural   Development. 
Some    Common    Errors    in   Vine  Prun- 
ing and  Their  Remedies. 
Replacing    Missing    Vines. 
Measurement   of   Irrigation   Water  on 

the  Farm. 
Supports  for  Vines. 
Vineyard  Plans. 
The  Use  of  Artificial  Light  to  Increase 

Winter   Egg   Production. 


255. 

256. 
257. 
258. 
259. 
261. 
262. 
263. 
264. 

265. 
266. 

267. 

269. 
270. 
272. 

273. 
274. 

276. 

277. 

278. 
279. 
281. 


282. 

283. 
284. 
285. 
286. 
287. 
288. 
289. 
290. 
291. 

292. 
293. 
294. 
295. 

296. 

298. 

299. 
300. 
301. 
302. 
303. 

304. 
305. 
306. 

307. 
308. 
309. 


Leguminous  Plants  as  Organic  Fertil- 
izer   in    California    Agriculture. 

The   Control   of  Wild   Morning   Glory. 

The  Small-Seeded  Horse  Bean. 

Thinning   Deciduous   Fruits. 

Pear  By-products. 

Sewing  Grain  Sacks. 

Cabbage  Growing  in  California. 

Tomato  Production  in  California. 

Preliminary  Essentials  to  Bovine 
Tuberculosis  Control. 

Plant  Disease  and  Pest  Control. 

Analyzing  the  Citrus  Orchard  by 
Means   of   Simple  Tree   Records. 

The  Tendency  of  Tractors  to  Rise  in 
Front;    Causes  and  Remedies. 

An  Orchard  Brush  Burner. 

A  Farm  Septic  Tank. 

California  Farm  Tenancy  and  Methods 
of  Leasing. 

Saving  the  Gophered  Citrus  Tree. 

Fusarium  Wilt  of  Tomato  and  its  Con- 
trol by  Means  of  Resistant  Varieties. 

Home  Canning. 

Head,  Cane,  and  Cordon  Pruning  of 
Vines. 

Olive  Pickling  in  Mediterranean  Coun- 
tries. 

The  Preparation  and  Refining  of  Olive 
Oil   in    Southern   Europe. 

The  Results  of  a  Survey  to  Determine 
the  Cost  of  Producing  Beef  in  Cali- 
fornia. 

Prevention  of  Insect  Attack  on  Stored 
Grain. 

Fertilizing  Citrus  Trees  in  California. 

The  Almond   in   California. 

Sweet  Potato  Production  in  California. 

Milk  Houses  for  California  Dairies. 

Potato   Production   in   California. 

Phylloxera  Resistant  Vineyards. 

Oak  Fungus  in  Orchard  Trees. 

The  Tangier  Pea. 

Blackhead  and  Other  Causes  of  Loss 
of  Turkeys  in  California. 

Alkali   Soils. 

The    Basis   of   Grape    Standardization. 

Propagation   of   Deciduous   Fruits. 

The  Growing  and  Handling  of  Head 
Lettuce  in   California. 

Control  of  the  California  Ground 
Squirrel. 

The  Possibilities  and  Limitations  of 
Cooperative  Marketing. 

Poultry  Breeding  Records. 

Coccidiosis  of  Chickens. 

Buckeye  Poisoning  of  the  Honey  Bee. 

The   Sugar  Beet  in   California. 

A  Promising  Remedy  for  Black  Measles 
of  the  Vine. 

Drainage  on  the  Farm. 

Liming  the  Soil. 

A  General  Purpose  Soil  Auger  and  its 
Use  on  the  Farm. 

American   Foulbrood   and  its   Control. 

Cantaloupe  Production  in  California. 

Fruit  Tree  and   Orchard  Judging. 


The  publications  listed  above  may  be  had  by  addressing 

College  of  Agriculture, 

University  of  California, 

Berkeley,  California. 

13m-9,'27 


